Alexis Lestrange and the Grim
by AyleanaMami
Summary: (3rd Story to Alexis Lestrange Series) Alexis is ready for her third year at Hogwarts but when Black escapes Azkaban everything goes haywire. Dementors, a werewolf teacher, more Marauder secrets, and, worst of all, people want her and Harry to stop being friends! Alexis is sure it all has to do with her parents and this year she's determined to find out who they are no matter what
1. Chapter 1

This is the third book to the Alexis Lestrange series. I highly recommend you read the first two to understand it better but if not I'm always open to answer any questions you have on Alexis's relationships with people. I am awful at recapping so you really should read the first two but if you really want a summary tell me and I'll try to add one to Chapter 2

Thank you and Enjoy!

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3 Chapter 1: Not Your Typical Friendship

Alexis McPherson was not an ordinary twelve year old girl. She was small in stature but had hit the earlier stages of puberty before most of her classmates, an impressive feat for the youngest in the class. Her hair was a very beautiful midnight black and her eyes were a bright green. Both colors went well with her ivory skin thats only imperfection was a dark Chimera tattoo that held her memories and danced around her skin, growing and expanding when Alexis saw fit. But it wasn't her memory tattoo that made her unordinary nor was it her unusual nickname, Hex.

What made Alexis so unordinary was her strange relationship with all her friends. For starters, her first friend wasn't even living. Peeves was a poltergeist who has been around pranking since the opening of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school where Alexis currently attended. He was an excitable fellow, not at all like any of the other ghosts (he always insisted he wasn't a ghost in the first place), with orange eyes that screamed mayhem, hair a raven-black, and skin was as pale as snow, that is, sometimes it was, when he wasn't transparent, which he was a lot (poltergeist, remember?).

Her next friend, and the one she spent the entire last summer with, was Draco Malfoy. Alexis enjoyed spending her Saturdays at school with Draco, seeing that it was the only time the two were able to spend time together. Being from rival houses, Draco Slytherin and Alexis Gryffindor, was strenuous on their relationship and their other friends didn't like it but somehow the two had stayed friends ever since they met on the boat ride to Hogwarts.

Another friend of hers who wasn't a Gryffindor but was in fact a Hufflepuff and going into his sixth year at Hogwarts was Cedric Diggory. Cedric absolutely adored Alexis and had more or less adopted her as his younger sister ever since they were paired up in potions Alexis's first year and Cedric's fourth. He was very handsome, not that Alexis noticed, but was very shy around girls. Thankfully for him, Alexis had convinced him to ask out Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw fourth year, who Cedric had been smitten with since last summer.

Then there was Hermione Granger, Alexis's only friend who was a girl and Muggleborn as well. Their friendship had started the day Alexis was nearly killed by a troll protecting Hermione and since then they only grew closer. They both were very intelligent and hungry to learn as much as they could, unlike the boys the two of them hung out with so they always had something to talk about.

After Hermione was Ron Weasley. Alexis wished she could say their relationship was better. She knew all about his five older brothers: Bill was a curse breaker in Egypt; Charlie worked with dragons in Romania; Percy was a little stuck up but perfect Prefect material and would probably be Head Boy this year; and the twins, Fred and George, were pranksters, but Alexis knew little about Ron himself. They weren't very close, and always had a way with making her angry but they both shared the same best friend and he had gone to save her life last year when a diary possessed her. That was why this year, her goal was to improve their friendship.

Yes, Alexis had a strange relationship with all her friends but the strangest relationship Alexis had was with her best friend Harry Potter, who's hair she was currently cutting with a pair of old arts and craft scissors in the middle of the woods of all places.

"Will you quit moving, Prongs," snapped Alexis. "I'm not going to nip you ear."

"That's what you said last time," Harry grumbled.

"Well if you would quit fidgeting!" shouted Alexis. "Fuck boy, you don't ever listen."

"Padfoot, language!" said Harry. He quit moving when Alexis placed the scissors dangerously close to his neck.

"You live with Mad-Eye Moody half the summer and not pick up some on some bad habits," grumbled Alexis, kindly removing the scissors away from Harry's neck. Living with her Uncle Moody had been... enlightening, when it came to colorful vocabulary. That man had a mouth that would make sailors blush and on many occasions had done just that, seeing that Moody lived very close to a dock.

"It's better then the Dursleys," Harry grumbled right back. "Aunt Marge is coming today."

"Oh?" said Alexis. Her eyes widened with sudden recognition of the name. "Oh. Vernon's sister, the one with all the fucking dogs?"

"Yeah."

"The same woman who gave you dog biscuits the last time she visited?"

"Yeah."

"And made you stay in a tree until midnight before calling off her fucking dog?"

"Yeah."

"And-"

"Yes, Padfoot!" snapped Harry, nearly getting himself cut by Alexis's scissors.

Alexis grinned at her best friend as if finding him fuming was the most hilarious thing in the world.

"There's no need to shout," she teased before putting the scissors down and pulling out a mirror. "Done."

Harry took the mirror from her and grinned at his reflection. What was once a shaggy headed boy with uncontrollable hair was now a still very messy hair boy with far less hair. He could finally see without having to brush his hair out of his face but still had enough to cover his lightning bolt scar.

Alexis had never cared about how Harry had gotten his scar unlike the rest of the Wizarding World (because Alexis and Harry were in fact wizards). She knew he had gotten it from Voldemort, the Dark Lord and Wizard who had killed his parents, when he had defeated him at merely a few days old making him the most famous wizard of all time, but that wasn't why they were friends. Because why would the child of an unnamed Deatheater who was raised by a fugitive and wasn't on the Ministry of Magic's good side want to be friends with the Golden Boy of the light side? They were friends because of one simple reason: trouble adored the two of them.

"Brilliant, Hex," said Harry still grinning into the mirror. "Even Aunt Petunia will like it."

"Yeah," snorted Alexis, "once we say my 'Grandma Maddy' cut it for her."

Harry jumped to his feet off the log he had been sitting on and shook the remaining strands of hair from his head. When he was done he helped Alexis pack up her tools and head out of the woods. When the two were sure no one was watching, they left the woods and entered the playground.

"Maybe I can convince them to let me stay over for dinner," said Alexis as they headed back to 4 Privet Drive, the home of Harry's relatives. "Vernon and Petunia love me and I'm pretty sure Dudley has a crush on me so it wouldn't be that difficult."

"I don't know," said Harry. His eyes widened when he realized the last thing Alexis had said. "How does that not creep you out?"

Alexis shrugged her shoulders.

"As long as he doesn't write me an awful poem like Crabbe and Goyle did last year I can deal with it. Come on Prongs, let me come too."

Harry let out a sigh.

"It's not that I don't want you there, I'm just afraid they're going to suspect we're friends," he said finally. "Uncle Vernon wouldn't allow that."

"Don't worry," said Alexis, a hint of mischief in her voice. "They wouldn't suspect a thing."

Before Harry could ask what she meant Alexis pushed him roughly and he tumbled into a heap in the front yard. He wasn't hurt but was rather embarrassed at his surprised actions, such as flapping his hands wildly to catch himself and tripping over thin air when he almost had. Luckily, (or unluckily for Harry) Harry's uncle and his sister had been pulling into the driveway and were able to see all of it go down.

"Oh, hello Mr. Dursley," sweet talked Alexis. "Harry was being such a ninny, falling over thin air."

"I can see," said Mr. Dursley, completely ignoring the politeness of not laughing at his nephew. "Did the boy do all of his work for your grandmother?"

Alexis couldn't fight the grin the crawled on her face when she lied and said, "No sir. Grandma Maddy wants him back tomorrow to finish it, if that's alright with you. She doesn't think he should be idle during his summer, don't you agree?"

"Well I do indeed," said Mr. Dursley, clearly taken by Alexis's charm.

"And who is this lovely lady, Mr. Dursley?" lied Alexis. Vernon Dursley's sister was anything but lovely. She was very like her brother: large, beefy, and purple-faced, she even had a mustache, though not as bushy as his. In one hand she held an enormous suitcase, and tucked under the other was an old and evil-tempered bulldog.

"Such manners, Vernon," sang the woman in a horselike voice. "One of Dudley's friends? Or his girlfriend?"

How Alexis was able to pull off that her blush was in embarrassment and not the need to vomit was a miracle, which impressed even Harry.

"Grandma Maddy would never let me start dating so young," mumbled Alexis trying to swallow her vomit and look bashful as well.

"This is my sister, Marge," said Mr. Dursley with a soft chuckle. "Marge, this is Alexis McPherson. She's staying with her grandmother down the street."

_'Well, technically it's your uncle, and technically you live eight miles from here,'_ thought Harry. Alexis fought off the urge to roll her eyes.

"Speaking of your grandmother, shouldn't you be heading back dear?"

"Actually sir," said Alexis, sugarcoating her words as best she could, "Grandma Maddy was wondering if I could eat here for the night. She wanted me to spend time with Dud- I mean with the neighbors but I see you have guests and I don't want intrude-"

"Nonsense, girl!" said Marge. "Vernon, couldn't you make room for her?"

"Of course," said Mr. Dursley. "You must join us!"

"I don't know, Mr. Dursley. I don't want to be a burden..."

"Nonsense!" Dursley exclaimed, leading Alexis through the front door. "Petunia would be delighted to know you're joining us, I know Dudley will."

Alexis couldn't help but to laugh at her best friend's bewildered expression.

_'You have got to teach me.'_

She mouthed, "It's a gift", before allowing herself to be led into the living room where Mrs. Dursley and Dudley Dursley were waiting. Mrs. Dursley looked very similar to giraffe in a horrendous flowery dress while Dudley looked like an enormous pig in a blonde wig. When they discovered Alexis was dinning with them, they became ecstatic and quickly made her join them in their family outing while Harry set the table. Harry didn't mind, however. This was probably the best visit from his aunt so far thanks to Alexis playing mediator.

"Did you hear about this Serious Black fellow?" said Marge Dursley, halfway through dinner, which Harry had cooked but Mrs. Dursley took credit for.

"Who?" asked Alexis. She had only been half listening. She was currently talking to Harry telepathically about Quidditch while forcing herself to shyly smile at Dudley to keep up her rues.

"Why," started Marge Dursley, "he's only a mass murderer who escaped prison just days ago! Look he's on the tellie!"

Sure enough, when Alexis looked at the small television, conveniently placed in the kitchen, she saw a report halfway through a report on an escaped convict.

"..._the public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately_."

"No need to tell us he's no good," snorted Vernon Dursley. "Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!"

He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry before realizing his nephew had gotten his hair cut. The man on the television, however, whose gaunt face was surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, most definitely had not.

"When did you-"

"Do you like it?" Alexis said, cutting Mr. Dursley off. "My grandma thought he needed a trim and had me cut it."

Whatever insults were about to go Harry's way were quickly avoided. Unfortunately, as the night wore on, it became harder and harder for Alexis to protect her friend from insults and calming him down was even more difficult. When Mr. Dursley was giving his sister her third glass of brandy is when things started to rapidly go down hill.

"Aah," said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. "Excellent nosh, Petunia. It's normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after..." She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach. "Pardon me. But I do like to see a healthy-sized boy," she went on, winking at Dudley. "You'll be a proper-sized man, Dudders, like your father. Yes, I'll have a spot more brandy, Vernon...

"Now, this one here -"

She jerked her head at Harry, who felt his stomach clench. Alexis quickly started talking to him.

_'Focus on something else, Harry. Think about playing Quidditch with me and the twins.'_

Harry nodded his head faintly as his aunt continued her rant.

"This one's got a mean, runty look about him. You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty little thing it was. Weak. Underbred."

_'She's just trying to get a reaction out of you, don't let her.'_

Harry barely made any recognition to hearing Alexis.

"It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia," she patted Aunt Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one "but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us."

Harry was staring at his plate, not saying or thinking a word. Alexis knew things were about to get bad but every time she tried to cut in Marge Dursley talked over her.

"This Potter," said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, "you never told me what he did?"

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents.

"He- didn't work," said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Harry. "Unemployed."

"But my grandmother said he was training to be a police officer," Alexis added quickly. Unfortunately, her words were ignored.

"As I expected!" said Marge Dursley, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. "A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who-"

"He was not," said Harry suddenly. The table went very quiet. Harry was shaking all over. He had never felt so angry in his life.

_'Harry,' _warned Alexis.

_'I'm sorry, Hex, I-'_

"MORE BRANDY!" yelled Uncle Vernon, who had gone very white. He emptied the bottle into Marge's glass. "You, boy," he snarled at Harry. "Go to bed, go on-"

"No, Vernon," hiccuped Marge Dursley, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's. "Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash, drunk, I expect-"

"They didn't die in a car crash!" said Harry, who found himself on his feet.

_'Stop Harry, don't,'_ warned Alexis again. Harry, however, was past warning.

"They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!" screamed Marge, swelling with fury. "You are an insolent, ungrateful little-"

"Oh, shit," whispered Alexis, no one noticed, however. They were all staring at the now inflating Marge Dursley.

_'Grab your stuff and meet me outside,' _she ordered._ 'Now!'_

Harry ran out of the room to do as Alexis had ordered just as his aunt started to float to the ceiling.

"MARGE!" yelled Vernon Dursley and his wife together. Marge Dursley's body was entirely round, now, like a vast life buoy with piggy eyes, and her hands and feet stuck out weirdly as she drifted up into the air, making apoplectic popping noises. Ripper, Marge's bulldog, came skidding into the room, barking madly.

"NOOOOOOO!"

Mr. Dursley seized one of his sister's feet and tried to pull her down again, but was almost lifted from the floor himself. A second later, Ripper leapt forward and sank his teeth into Mr. Dursley's leg.

"I think I better leave," mumbled Alexis, practically running out of the room. "Thanks for dinner."

She ran into Harry, who was throwing the last of his books into his trunk, in the hall.

"COME BACK IN HERE!" Vernon Dursley bellowed at Harry, his pant leg tattered and covered in blood. "COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!"

He moved towards Harry threateningly, his whale face purple with anger, but Alexis jumped in the way. With only two fingers and a spark of blue light, she shot him back causing him to tumble and land on his bum.

Then, very calmly and very clearly, Alexis said, "Don't you ever lay a finger on Harry again or it will be the last thing you ever do. Understand me Vernon Dursley?"

Maybe it was the fact she had threatened him or maybe it was the fact she had just revealed she was also a witch much like his nephew, but whatever the cause was Mr. Dursley turned white with fear before nodding his head yes.

"Good," Alexis said, clicking her tongue. "Got everything, Harry?"

"Yes," said Harry, failing to hid his smirk. He led his friend out the front door grinning ear to ear. "That was bloody brilliant, by the way."

"I agree, Prongs, I agree," said Alexis with a small giggle. "Unfortunately, now the Ministry will be after us and Moody is going to know I've been sneaking out."

"Well, at least it was fun while it lasted," said Harry with a sigh.

"Who said it was over? The night is still young, well, youngish, and it is, after all, still your Birthday."

Alexis and Harry shared a grin before heading off into the dark of the night.

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Thank you everyone who reviewed the last two books especially my haters. You just make me want to write more just to piss you off.

please review and tell me what you think. The more reviews the better!

DCF


	2. Chapter 2

3 Chapter 2: James and Trix Lestrange

Alexis and Harry, however, were not grinning when they stopped several streets way from Privet Drive. It was a cold night, strange for the first of August, and both Gryffindors were exhausted after carrying Harry's trunk full of his school books, robes, and other belongings.

The realization of what they had just done came down on them like a cruel wave of despair. They had both broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. Alexis knew for a fact her uncle, who was a retired Auror (the Wizard form of a policeman) and a very strict one when it came to the Ministry's Laws, was not going to help them. She knew Hermione and Ron would help them, lawbreakers or not, but they were both out of the country: Hermione in France, and Ron visiting his favorite brother, Bill, with the rest of his family in Egypt after his father won the Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. Draco would help, at least he would help Alexis anyway, but his family was also in France.

That left Cedric but Alexis had no way of contacting him...

"So now what?" said Harry. He had taken a seat on his trunk and was nervously running his hand through his hair.

Alexis shrugged and sat next to him.

"I don't know."

She really didn't. All she could think about was how depressingly cold it was around them. She shivered and instinctively, Harry threw his arm around her shoulder. Alexis did the same and the two sat silently, sharing their body heat as they tried to think of a plan.

"We'll have to go to Gringotts," said Harry. "I have tons of money in my vault. We just need to get some of it, maybe just a few handfuls, and then we can hide out somewhere until the Ministry stops looking for us."

Alexis snorted bitterly, "The Ministry doesn't stop looking for people, Harry."

There was a long pause. Undoubtedly, both friends were thinking about Alexis's late guardian, Tom McPherson, who had saved Alexis before she was even a day old and raised her in the States. He had been careful protecting her but when the first slip happened, Alexis receiving her Hogwarts letter, even after ten and a half years, the Ministry had acted on it instantly. That's why McPherson was dead and Alexis lived with his uncle and her now legal guardian Alastor Moody. Not that Moody was a bad guy, in fact Alexis adore the crazy, paranoid bloke especially after he helped her with her memory tattoo, he just wasn't McPherson.

"We could try, though," said Alexis. "I mean, the goblins don't give a dam about what the Ministry thinks as long as they make a profit and we don't steal from them, anyways. We just wear your Invisibility Cloak, sneak in, grab your gold, and get out. It could work, Prongs."

Harry grinned but then let out a groan.

"But what do we do about my trunk?" he grumbled. "It's too heavy for us to carry all the way to London unless..."

Harry didn't have to finish his sentence nor did Alexis need her Legilimency abilities to know what her was thinking. They could bewitch the trunk to make it feather-light. After all, they already knew they were going to be expelled so a little more magic couldn't hurt. While they were at it she might as well apparate them to London...

Alexis nodded her head and immediately Harry began digging through his trunk in search of his Invisibility Cloak and wand. He, however, had only just grabbed his wand when Alexis grabbed his arm.

"Someone or something is watching us," she whispered. She nudged her head in the direction of a dark, black alleyway.

Neither of them saw anything but they could feel something watching them as they stared into the darkness,

"Lumos," Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand. He held it high over both their heads, and the walls of the alleyway brightened significantly. In their awe and horror, they saw the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.

"Hex," whispered Harry.

"I see it, Harry," Alexis whispered back.

The two stepped backwards, cautiously. Harry whipped his arm towards the street in order to protect Alexis as the figure began to move forward but suddenly there was a deafening BANG, and the duo threw up their hands to shield their eyes against a sudden blinding light.

For the third time in Alexis's life, the first being against their possessed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher their first year and the second when she herself was possessed by the Diary of Tom Riddle (aka Lord Voldemort), Harry Potter saved her life, and just in time too. He tackled her onto the pavement just as a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where the two of them had just been standing. They belonged to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled _The Knight Bus_.

"Thanks," whispered Alexis. Harry nodded and was just about to help her up when a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve-"

The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of Alexis and Harry, who was still spiraled on the ground. He grinned wickedly as Alexis and Harry scrambled to their feet. Close up, they saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than they were, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples.

"What were you two doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner, a knowing look falling on his face.

Alexis wanted to groan in annoyance.

"Fell over," said Harry.

"I'll say," sniggered Stan.

Alexis was going to glare at him but remembered what Harry and her had seen before the Knight Bus appeared. She turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.

"'Choo lookin' at?" said Stan.

"There was something back there," said Alexis, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "It was a big, black, thing withe giant, yellow eyes. Like a wolf or a bear..."

She looked around at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Alexis saw Stan's eyes move to the scar on Harry's forehead.

"So this bus," she said quickly, hoping to distract Stan, "did you say it goes anywhere?"

"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, 'long it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater. 'Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, "you did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"

"Yes," said Harry quickly. "Listen, how much would it be to get us both to London?"

"Eleven Sickles each," said Stan, "but for firteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot-water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice."

Harry began rummaging through for his money. Stan turned to Alexis.

"Woss your name?" he said.

"Trix," said Alexis. It had been the first name that had come to her and she had no idea why. "He's my brother, James."

"Got a last name?" Stan persisted.

"Lestrange," Alexis once more answered with the first name that came to her only this time Stan's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Was'a Lestrange doin' on da Knight Bus?"

"Just take our money," snapped Harry. Like Alexis, he had grown annoyed with Stan's constant questioning.

Thankfully, he did not continue and instead helped Harry lift the trunk up the steps of the bus while Alexis carried Hegwig's (Harry's owl) cage.

There were no seats on the bus: instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls. A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.

"You two 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Trix and James Lestrange, Ern."

Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, took a double take at Alexis and Harry before nodding his head.

"Take 'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.

There was another tremendous BANG, and the next thing Alexis knew she found herself thrown onto her back on the bed next to Harry by the mere speed of the Knight Bus. Struggling slightly, the two sat up and looked out the dark window behind them. They realized that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching their stunned faces with great enjoyment.

"This is where we was before you's flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"

"Ar," said Ernie.

"How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" said Harry.

_'Really, Prongs?' _thought Alexis, making sure Harry heard her. _'You're a wizard, what do you think?'_

But before Harry could reply Stan spoke.

"Them! Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."

"Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."

Stan passed Alexis and Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. The duo was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.

Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak.

"'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut; there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.

_'How do you think the Dursleys are doing with Aunt Bitch?'_ Alexis said in Harry's mind.

Harry rolled his eyes, evidently not ready to talk about the subject yet, but he did nonetheless.

_'I hope she's still stuck to the ceiling,'_ he thought coldly and Alexis snorted, earning her an attempted eyebrow raise from Stan. She was rather surprised Harry hadn't reprimanded her for calling his 'Aunt' a bitch but she had a feeling he wasn't going to be defending that woman anytime soon.

Stan had unfolded a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair was screaming silently on the front page. He looked strangely familiar.

"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!"

Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.

"Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, James. Are you sure your Lestranges?"

He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry. Alexis looked at it with interest.

_BLACK STILL AT LARGE_

_ Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. _

_ "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm." _

_ Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. _

_ "Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it - who'd believe him if he did?" _

_ While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse. _

Alexis stared at the photo of Sirius Black for a long time. He was a waxy white, with hair as black as her and Harry's. The only part of his sunken face that seemed alive were his shadowed eyes that seemed on the brink of insanity.

"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan.

"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"

"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

"Ar," said Ern darkly.

"Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.

"What, Voldemort?" said Alexis, without thinking.

Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.

_'Nice, Padfoot,'_ thought Harry. Alexis fought back the urge to roll her eyes.

"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?"

"Sorry," said Alexis halfheartedly. "I forgot -"

"Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast... You Lestranges..."

"So - so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" said Harry.

"Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say...anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got the better of You-Know-'Oo" - Harry nervously looked at Alexis - "all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.

"Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.

"What?" said Alexis and Harry in unison.

"Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"

"If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow meself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you...after what he did..."

"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said 'ad 'appened, Ern?"

"Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.

"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"

Ernie suddenly shivered. "Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."

Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Alexis and Harry shared a look. They couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time about them.

"'Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! An' some girl is with 'im. McPherson I think. She was in da paper with 'im last year, 'hem and Lockhart an' some blonde boy..."

_'Do you think we'll end up there, in Azkaban I mean?'_ asked Harry.

Alexis shook her head no and took her best friend's hand.

_'They'd have to catch us first, and that's not going to happen,' _she reassured. Harry squeezed her hand and smiled. The two had faith in their plan or at least they were going to pretend they did to keep up their friend's morale.

They watched as the bus dropped off a dozen or so wizard and witches, all of which looked happy to leave.

Finally, it was just Alexis and Harry left.

"Right then," said Stan, clapping his hands, "whereabouts in London?"

The two friends exchanged looks.

"Diagon Alley," said Harry.

"Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then."

BANG.

They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Alexis and Harry sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter.

_'We lay low for a couple of hours before going to Gringotts,'_ said Alexis and Harry nodded ever so slightly - Stan had been giving him weird looks every time he did so he was trying to be more discreet about it.

_'Then what?'_ thought Harry.

_'Then we get some money and run for it,' _replied Alexis._ 'Wherever you want to go. It really won't matter to me.'_

Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby-looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.

Alexis and Harry said thanks to Ern and quickly scrambled down the steps, Stan helping them with Harry's trunk.

"Well," started Harry.

"Bye!" finished Alexis with a quick wave.

But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus, he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"There you two are," said a voice.

Harry didn't complain when Alexis swore loudly, in fact, he said something very similar under his breath. Standing behind them, a hand on each of their shoulder, was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.

Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere!"

Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted, but for the first time Alexis had ever seen him he looked pleased to see her - most likely happy he was the one to turn her in to the authorities.

"Shall we go in," he said more as a statement then a question. He motioned for Stan to carry Harry's trunk inside as he led Alexis and Harry inside the Leaky Cauldron.

_'This could not have gone any farther then how we planned,'_ complained Harry.

He was wrong.

Standing next to the bar landlord, Tom, was a tall, scarred covered man with a metal leg, a magical blue eye, and a missing chunk of his nose.

"Hi, Al," said Alexis, with a small wave at her uncle. Alastor Moody did not look amused.

"You've got him, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"

"Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Alexis or Harry.

There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and looking around excitedly.

"'Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you two knew the Minister, eh,?" said Stan, beaming at the duo, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder. "Who would believe it? Lestranges, frien's with da Minister!"

"And a private parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly.

"'Bye," Harry said miserably to Stan and Ern as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar. Alexis waved halfheartedly.

"Bye, Trix! Bye, James!" called Stan.

Fudge marched Alexis and Harry along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, Moody right on his heels, and then into a small parlor. Already waiting for them was none other then Carter Swine, his grey eyes narrowing in on Alexis as if she was a diseased dog he was supposed to put down.

"Sit down," said Fudge, indicating the chairs by the fire.

Hesitantly, Alexis and Harry decided to share a seat inside of separate. They looked up at Fudge with two different looks: Harry's fear and Alexis's spite. Ironically, the first question he asked wasn't what either of them had expected.

"Trix and James Lestranges?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"They were the first name that came to me," said Alexis, shrugging her shoulders. Fudge and Swine shared a look before Swine shook his head no.

"Alastor," said Fudge, turning his head towards Moody, "perhaps you should take your niece-"

"I'm not leaving Harry with any of you," snapped Alexis. "He didn't mean to do it. The bitch was insulting his parents! I tried to help calm him down but she went too far, she deserved-"

"You took him out of his safe house because you thought you were going to be punished for a little thing like that?" said Fudge surprised.

"What do you mean, 'safe house'?" said Alexis.

"And what do you mean 'little thing like that'?" asked Harry, equally as suspicious as Alexis. "Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house! The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"

"Circumstances change, Harry...We have to take into account...in the present climate...Surely you don't want to be expelled?" said Fudge, awkwardly.

Harry shook his head violently.

"No, but-"

"You already skipped one question," growled Alexis, "you can't skip two."

"Watch it, girl," hissed Swine, as usual, in the Minister's defense.

"Or what?" she hissed back.

"Right," said Fudge. He looked at Moody once more. "I think now would be a great time to take your niece-"

"I already told you I'm not going anywhere," said Alexis. "You haven't arrested Harry or me so technically both of us can go."

"Don't temp me," mumbled Swine.

This time, Moody snorted. Why ever in Merlin's name he did was a mystery to everyone but Alexis. Moody had used that exact threat on her earlier that summer thinking it would scare some respect into her. He was very eager to see how Alexis would react to the threat now that he wasn't on the receiving end of it.

Unfortunately, just this once, Fudge was smart enough to intervene.

"Very well, you may stay if you remain quiet," he said rather hastily.

Alexis had already opened her mouth to put Swine in his place but quickly closed for Harry's sake. She nodded in an almost polite manner towards the Minister telling him to continue.

"Your aunt and uncle are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," said Fudge, undoubtably dumber then Alexis thought. Harry always spent his holidays at Hogwarts. Merlin knows he would spend summer break there too if it was allowed.

"So all that remains," said Fudge, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last few weeks of your vacation."

Alexis shot a hopeful look at Moody only to have it shot down with a glare. She looked at Harry, who had been waiting patiently for her to answer the unspoken question they were both wondering. Reluctantly, Alexis shook her had no, but for some reason Harry wasn't as put off about not being welcomed at Mad-Eye Moody's home. If he was half as crazy as Alexis said he was, Harry was sure that it was better he didn't spend a few weeks with him.

"I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron," said Fudge, standing up. "Now, stay here, Harry, while I go and see if Tom's got your room set up." He turned to Moody. "Alastor, if you would kindly take your niece-"

"I said I'm not leaving Harry," snapped Alexis. "I'll pay for my own room if I have to but I'm not just going to leave my best friend here when you aren't telling us what's going on."

"Hex is right," said Harry. "I'm not very comfortable with this whole thing and I'd rather she stayed."

Fudge looked at Moody with pleading eyes but was greatly disappointed with what he got.

"I'm afraid, once the lass has her mind set, she won't back down, Minister," said Moody with a chuckle. "I'm not going to force her to leave, not if Harry wants her here as well. Besides, the two of them together would make-"

"My job a bloody nightmare," muttered Fudge. Swine looked taken aback by the Minister's language but said nothing. "Very well, Alexis may stay."

"I'm so glad I needed your permission," grumbled Alexis, earning her an elbow from Harry. "I mean, thank you Fudge, sir."

Fudge narrowed his eyes at her before looking back at Harry.

"Room eleven, Harry," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable. just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand...I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right? Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."

"Okay," said Harry slowly, "but why?"

"Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no...best we know where you are...I mean..."

Alexis and Harry exchanged questionable looks. Fudge cleared his throat loudly and moved towards the door.

"Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know..."

"Have you had any luck with Black yet?" Alexis asked.

Fudge's finger slipped on the silver doorknob leading out of the room. For a brief moment Alexis saw genuine fear on his face with a hint of anger, no doubt directed towards her.

"What's that? Oh, you've heard - well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. We'll catch him, him and anyone helping him," his eyes narrowed on Alexis ever so slightly. "The Azkaban guards have never yet failed...and they are angrier than I've ever seen them."

Fudge shuddered slightly.

"So, I'll say good-bye."

Opening the door, he waved and Harry, waving back, had a sudden idea.

"Er - Minister? Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.

"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form. D'you think you could -?"

Fudge was looking uncomfortable.

"Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian -"

"But you're the Minister of Magic," said Alexis. "If you gave him permission..."

"No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly.

"Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't...yes...well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry. Alexis."

And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room, Swine right on his heels.

"Who can you stand that guy?" asked Alexis the moment the door closed behind them. "He's such a- gah!"

Moody snorted again, reminding the duo of his presence.

"Keep an eye on each other, alright," he ordered rather then request.

"Yes, sir," said Harry.

"Whatever you say, Uncle Al," teased Alexis. She threw an arm over Harry's shoulder. "I'll keep him out of trouble."

Mumbling something under his breath that made Harry blush and Alexis snicker, Moody disappeared out of the room. Moments later, Tom appeared. He beckoned them to follow him and they did. They followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for them.

Inside were two comfortable-looking, twin beds, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire and, perched on top of the wardrobe -

"Hedwig!" Harry gasped. Alexis grinned at the snowy owl clicked her beak before fluttered down onto Harry's arm.

"Very smart owl you've got there," chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five minutes after you did. If there's anything you two need don't hesitate to ask."

With a bow, he closed the door and left. There was a small pause before Harry spoke.

"Um, Hex?"

"Yes Harry?" said Alexis, flopping on the bed closest to the door.

"You know more about the Ministry then me but that wasn't normal was it?" asked Harry, sitting on the second bed.

"No," Alexis said, "not even close to normal. Then again, you are the Boy Who Lived. Even being friends with the child of a Dark Lord supporter doesn't dwindle your rep."

Harry rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at his best friend. The two were just about to fall asleep when another question came to Harry.

"Padfoot?"

"Yes, Prongs?" yawned Alexis.

"Why did you chose those names, James and Trix Lestrange?"

Alexis shrugged under her blanket.

"It's weird. I could hear someone saying them in the back of my head, Trix and James, over and over but no one was there and your brain was as empty as a upside down cauldron."

She didn't have to open her eyes to know Harry was glaring at her. Alexis smiled into her pillow.

"And Lestrange?" Harry asked, a yawn of his own escaping.

"I've been hearing it a lot," said Alexis. "The sorting hat, Firenze, Draco's family... I've just had it stuck in my head since first year."

"Maybe you are a Lestrange," teased Harry, dragging out the strange in the name.

"Funny," mumbled Alexis, "next you're going to say I'm related to Black too..."

The two friends fell asleep, the first beam of daylight streaming through their window.

* * *

Thank you Luna the HP fan for the review last Chapter! Don't worry about her identity being blown. I have plans for that next book *laughs evil until chokes and has to talk with a weird voice*

I have also just discovered that some people find it unethical to have two teenagers (well, one teenager and a 12 and 3/4 year old) share a room even if they have separate beds if they are of the opposite gender. With that I have one thing to say THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE SEX YOU BIMBOS honestly... Some of you people...

anyway, please review and, oh yeah, review

DCF


	3. Chapter 3

Took way too long to write this... Hope it's. Good!

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 3: Muggle London

When Alexis and Harry woke up the next day, they were greeted by three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious, soaring in through the window. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.

Alexis recognized the unconscious owl at once - he belonged to the Weasley family.

"Errol?" said Alexis, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Harry climbed out of bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the item, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water while Hedwig hooted in annoyance- clearly against sharing her cage.

The duo turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large spotted one, was a shipping owl. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew straight out the window.

Neither Alexis or Harry recognized the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but they knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the sky like the last one.

"Well," said Alexis, "hurry up and open them!"

Grinning, Harry sat down on his bed with Alexis and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out - a letter and a newspaper clipping.

The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:

_MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE _

_Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. _

_A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank." _

_The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend. _

Alexis scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across her face as she saw all eight of the Weasleys waving furiously at her, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder.

"Did you know, Hex?" asked Harry, grinning wildly.

"I found out yesterday," said Hex. She handed Harry the second letter but he didn't open it. "What?"

"It's just..." he started shaking his head, "last year, on the train ride, you said Professor Trelawney told you have the Inner Eye and you predicted Tails would win the lottery."

Alexis snickered at her best friend.

"It wasn't a prediction, Prongs, it was a joke. I was just as surprised when I found out but I can see the future as good as Trelawney, and she's loony."

"But she teaches Div-"

"Trust me, Harry," Alexis said, cutting him off, "you have Divnination this year, you'll see."

Shrugging in agreement, Harry picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.

_Dear Harry, _

_Happy birthday! _

_Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted. _

_It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let me come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff. _

_I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Remember when Hex said we would on the train? I think she might be psychic! Anyway, seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year. _

_We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there? _

_Don't let the Muggles get you down! _

_Try and come to London, _

_Ron _

_P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week. _

While Harry tore through the wrapping of his present from Ron, Alexis read the note that came with it aloud. It said:

_"Harry - this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup. _

_Bye - Ron"_

Alexis was laughing still at the twins antics even as Harry ripped into his package from the shipping owl. Inside it, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.

_Dear Harry, _

_Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right. _

_I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then I found out about shipping owls! I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating._

_There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for. _

_Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first! _

_Love from _

_Hermione _

_P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it. _

Alexis and Harry laughed as they read Hermione's letter before Harry picked up her present. It was very heavy.

"I bet it's a collection of books," joked Harry, still laughing.

"Yeah," giggled Alexis, "Gilderoy Lockhart's."

Alexis laughed even harder at the face expression Harry made when she mentioned their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from last year.

"Jeez, Prongs," Alexis said, stifling her laughter, "I know you didn't like the guy but-"

"The phony made last year horrible!" snapped Harry. "I had to regrow my entire arm because of him, Padfoot!"

"Yeah, that was the big issue last year," teased Alexis. "A basilisk petrifying students, your best friend being possessed by the memory of Tom Riddle, and everyone thinking you were the Heir of Slytherin were just minor issues."

Harry rolled his eyes before laughing.

"No, the real problem last year was the fact that we never got to play for the Quidditch Cup."

Alexis hit him with a pillow but couldn't help but to smirk.

"Just open your gift, you git."

Still chuckling, Harry returning his attention to his present. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.

"Lucky bastard," said Alexis.

"Language," chided Harry. Alexis grinned sheepishly. Her eyes were drawn to Harry's last package. It was moving.

"Um, I think Hagrid sent you something," she mumbled. Harry only nodded as his last package began opening itself like a four year old opening presents on his birthday.

"Do you think it's alive?... or dangerous?" asked Harry hesitantly. Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.

Alexis snorted sarcastically, "No, Prongs, it's a book, a monster book. Give me the lamp, I'll hit it if it attacks once you get the wrapping off it."

Harry handed Alexis the lamp off the bedside table and readied himself to grab the remaining wrapper off the... thing. Once Alexis had the lamp lifted high above her head, ready to strike, Harry counted down silently with his fingers - three - two - one -

"NOW!"

Harry seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled. Out fell - a book. Its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, now slightly dented were Alexis had hit it, knocking the book... unconscious?

"Quite making predictions, Padfoot," growled Harry. Alexis opened her mouth to argue but Harry silenced her by raising his hand. "I don't care if it was a joke, it still happened and you predicted it."

Alexis rolled her eyes and examined the now motionless book. She smiled before picking it up and hugging it to herself.

"It's kind of cute though," she sang, rocking the book back and forth when it started to move again. Harry swore he heard the book starting hum as he read Hagrid's card.

_Dear Harry, _

_Happy Birthday! _

_Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you. _

_Hope the Muggles are treating you right. _

_All the best, _

_Hagrid _

It struck the friends as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful, but Harry put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever.

"I just want to say," said Alexis, placing the monster book down on Harry's bed where it laid sleeping, "I actually said Happy Birthday on your birthday, though I was going to let you pick out your gift today when we went to the zoo."

"We were going to go to the zoo?" exclaimed Harry. He winced when the monster book started to growl but it quit once Alexis stroked it's spin.

"Were being the key word," said Alexis, "but I'll buy you whatever you want in Diagon Alley. Moody gave me some Muggle money the other day, we'll just have to convert it to galleons."

She stood up and started rummaging through Harry's trunk. Not having any clothes with her, she grabbed one of Harry's shirt, one of his many red t-shirts, to put on later. When she realized Harry wasn't get up she gave him a concerned look.

"Whats up, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, slowly getting off his bed and grabbing a change of clothes.

"I don't think if I'm ready to face the Wizard World yet. Not after... you know."

"Well," said Alexis, thinking, "what do you want to do, or where do you want to go for that matter?"

"I don't know," sighed Harry. "Fudge said not to go out to Muggle London and- and you don't care what Fudge says, do you?"

Alexis shook her head no.

"But Tom is-"

"Don't worry about Tom, Harry," said Alexis, smiling deviously. "I know how to get to London without going out the front door."

Knowing better then to ask questions, Harry grinned at his best friend.

"Well then, to Muggle London, Padfoot?"

"To Muggle London, Prongs."

Hardly an hour later, Alexis and Harry had changed clothes, taken Alexis's school supplies and belongings (Moody had dropped them off that morning while they were sleeping) up to their room, gone out the back door, scaled the Leaky Cauldron, and jumped down onto the cold cement ground in between the Leaky Cauldron and a Muggle music store, landing gracefully in an alleyway.

They went straight to sightseeing: Alexis's favorite stop being the Tower of London and Harry's favorite being the London Zoo. Alexis had even bought Harry a fascinating twined necklace from a gypsy woman for his birthday. It was made of black string, tied in and elaborate pattern with three copper beads. Harry really seemed to like it and couldn't stop playing with it as they walked around.

Finally, as their long day drew to an end, the duo stumbled into a coffee shop, giggling shamelessly.

"And Mad-Eye let you?" asked Harry, still laughing.

"He helped me get it," said Alexis, handing the waitress the money for their drinks. "I needed a wand to cast it and I can't use one so I needed him to."

Harry took a long sip of his hot chocolate before speaking again.

"But a tattoo?" he said with the straightest face he could make. "Moody doesn't seem like the kind of person to let you get a tattoo, magic or not."

"Are you kidding me?" Alexis laughed. "He probably got one right after me, and I'll admit, I'm curious to know what his familiar is."

Alexis laughed as Harry's thought passed through her mind.

"I doubt it's a bunny, Ha-"

"Hello children."

Three men stood on Alexis's right side and Harry's left. They were all smiling and the man who had talked was wearing a soccer team hat over his dark brown hair. His eyes were locked on Harry.

"Can we help you?" Harry asked politely, earning him a stink eye from Alexis.

_'Don't be polite to these guys, Harry.'_

_'Sorry, Hex. Just trying to get them to leave.'_

"Yes," said the man, his smile widening, "my friends and I were hoping to sit with you two. All the other tables are taken."

"You can actually have this one," said Alexis, quickly standing up. "We're done with it."

"Really?" said the man in a I-can-see-that-your-cup-is-still-full-so-I-don't-believe-you-for-a-second voice.

"Yeah, really," snapped Alexis. "We didn't like the tea. Come on James."

She grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him out of the shop.

"Those guys were weird," breathed Harry once they had walked a block. The sun was setting slowly and it would be dark soon. Luckily they were only a few blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron.

Alexis, however, had the strangest feeling she was being watched. When she caught a glimpse off a car, showing her two familiar faces following behind them by only a few paces, she knew her assumption was right.

_'Prongs,'_ Alexis said telepathically to Harry.

_'Yeah, Padfoot?'_ replied Harry

_'Those two guys are following us.'_

Ever so slightly, Harry glanced over his shoulder. The two of the three men from the coffee shop were indeed following them.

"Leaky Cauldron?" he breathed as calmly as he could. Alexis nodded her head.

Fighting the urge to pick up the pace, the two Gryffindors mustered up their courage and casually walked back the the Leaky Cauldron. They were only a block away when Harry was accidentally bumped by a passerby, knocking himself, Alexis and the passerby into an alley. No more then three seconds later, the two men following them joined them and Alexis and Harry realized that the passerby's bump had never been an accident in the first place. The passerby was the third man from the coffee shop.

"James, huh?" crackled the man in the soccer cap. He had lifted Harry's bangs, revealing his lightning bolt scar. "You were right, Jim. Harry Potter, wondering the streets of London, unprotected."

"Told you Dav," laughed the man with the black hair.

Alexis and Harry gulped. The three men were wizards and there was no doubt about it. And if knowing who Harry was wasn't enough proof, all three of them drew their wands.

"Who's the girl, Potter?" asked the man called Dav.

"Leave us alone," hissed Alexis, stepping in front of Harry. The three men laughed.

"Letting a girl do your dirty work, aye, Potter?"

"I'm warning you," growled Alexis. "Fudge has Aurors watching us. You better get lost fast."

It was a lie but the men didn't need to know that. Unfortunately, they didn't care either way.

"Has a little bit of an American accent, doesn't she?" asked the unnamed man. "Little old for you, Potter."

The man moved towards Alexis and Harry drew his wand.

"Leave her alone," he hissed, pointing his wand at man's throat.

"You better watch it Potter," hissed the man. "You don't want to cause any trouble after blowing up your aunt, do you?"

"Lower your wand," ordered Dav. He lifted his hand towards Harry-

Dav's eyes widened. The wand that had once been in his hand was gone.

"What the -"

A flash of red light hit Dav making fall into a heap on the ground. Before Alexis realized what was happening so had Jim and the other man, revealing Alexis and Harry's savor.

"Hex," whispered Harry.

"I see him," breathed Alexis.

Standing in front of them was none other then Sirius Black. A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If his eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin.

"Harry-"

"_Expelliamus_!" shouted Alexis.

Sirius Black slammed into the dumpster, his unconscious body sliding to the floor with a soft thump. Not hesitating for a second, Harry dragged Alexis out of the alley and the two ran faster then they had ever before back to the Leaky Cauldron. Somehow they not only managed to slip through the front door unnoticed but they also made it to their room before Tom the barkeeper even realized they were back.

"That was-"

"Yeah."

"He was-"

"Yeah."

"Do you think we should-"

"No way."

"But-"

"We're not telling anyone, Harry!"

harry nodded, realizing the trouble they would get into for being in London wasn't something either of them needed.

Both Gryffindors fell silent for a long while, replaying what had just happened over and over in their heads. Finally, Alexis spoke.

"How did he know your name?" she breathed, laying down on Harry's bed.

Harry sat down beside her and sighed.

"I don't know... Maybe he heard that other man say it."

"Maybe," Alexis yawned. She was exhausted after all the sightseeing they had done not to mention their run back to the Leaky Cauldron. She was about to fall asleep when Harry shook her arm.

"Hmm?"

"Hex, you casted magic again. You might get in trouble."

"Doubtful," Alexis mumbled. "We were surrounded by four wizards, all of which were of age. The Ministry will just think it was one of them."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, stifling a yawn.

"Remember how last year when Dobby used magic next to you and the Ministry though it was you?" Harry mad a grunting nose in acknowledgement. "Well seeing we were so close to the Leaky Cauldron, a magic area, my spell might have alerted the Ministry but all it would have done was tell them that someone used magic around a kid. They can't prove I used magic because it could have been anyone close enough to us casting magic to alarm the Ministry... Make sense?"

Harry's response was a light snore, one Alexis was mimicking in a matter of minutes.

* * *

So I made a hint at Alexis getting her memory tattoo, gave you a snippet of Sirius never seen before, and made a miserable attempt at explaining why Alexis won't be getting caught for using magic outside of school while underage. I won't lie, I wish the chapter was better but this is it. Next chapter will be better

thank you guest for pointing out my mistake on Ginny fixed it!

thank you Luna the **HP fan for the review**! Sorry I took so long to post another chapter!

Please Review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 is finally here! Enjoy, hate, love, dislike, I don't care, just read... Please

* * *

3 Chapter 4: A Stay at the Leaky Cauldron

Alexis and Harry didn't even think about going back out into Muggle London after their run in with Black especially after it was reported he had attack three fully grown wizards at the same time, snapping two of their wands and keeping the last one for himself. Now, the two weren't exactly sad that the three wizards he had attacked were the three that had ambushed them but they couldn't help but to feel guilty. It was clear Black had been after Harry in the attack, after all he was a supporter of the Dark Lord, so the three men's injuries were technically Alexis and Harry's fault.

However, shopping for Harry's school supplies helped the two soon-to-be third years forget their guilt. They had a full month to do it so they didn't buy everything at once. They spent a week just browsing through Flourish and Blotts, competing to see who could find the craziest book title (Alexis won with _The Necessary Book of Unnecessary Spellbooks: Book Eleven_ by Nectarios Uner), before buying his books. The manager was very pleased to know Harry already had his _Monster Book of Monster_s and therefore didn't have to risk getting bitten by one again.

Moody had given Alexis plenty of money so together she and Harry bought new robes, Harry because his old ones had become too short for him and Alexis because hers had not only become to short for her but were also becoming uncomfortably tight in newly developed areas. Alexis never mentioned this to Harry, however, after he had blushed such a bright red at the mere mention of puberty.

They also restocked Harry's potion supplies at Apothecary where they also met a great deal of odd wizards and witches. One witch, in fact, that they met, was wear a set of robes the two agreed they had seen Dumbledore wear before. She had been buying a galleon of troll mucus when they had seen her.

The rest of the summer was spent mainly outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor where the two best friends ate an unhealthy amount of ice cream while working on Harry's school work. Alexis helped him a great deal, having finished her homework at the beginning of the summer, but occasionally they were helped by Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave the two of them free ice cream every half hour.

But other then eating ice creaming and working on school work, their was one thing Alexis and Harry truly enjoyed doing and that was pacing by the Quality Quidditch Supplies store. They would do this everyday, just to catch a glimpse of the beauty lying in the window, it's sign reading:

_**** **__**THE FIREBOLT**__** ****_

_**THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST. **_

Neither of them dared request the price, however. They knew just by looking at the marvelous broomstick it had to cost a fortune- though Harry had a fortune...

"No, we can't, you definitely can't," said Alexis. "Can you imagine having to ask the Dursleys for school supply money?"

Harry let out a whine but didn't push any further. He knew Alexis was right.

The summer past on without any incidents besides the occasional run in with people that they knew. They ran into Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindors, at Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt; they also ran into Neville Longbottom outside Flourish and Blotts. Alexis was kind enough to give him her supplies list when they discovered he had lost his. He had thanked her spasmodically before running off to tell his grandmother.

Of course, they also ran into less friendly people as well. Twice Alexis and Harry nearly ran into Professor Snape and only just managed to get out of his line of vision. Something told the two Gryffindors that even outside of school Snape would find a reason to take points from them.

Then there was their run in with Carter Swine at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. It struck Alexis as odd seeing the man who seem unable to enjoy anything standing in the middle of a colorful parlor talking to the always smiling Florean Fortescue. When Swine pointed at Alexis Mr. Fortescue shook his head disagreement but their conversation continue a little while longer. After Swine left, however, whatever he had told Fortescue about Alexis seemed to have little effect on him except Alexis catching him in the occasional stare.

"You know, your father used to come here all the time with his best mates," said Fortescue one late afternoon.

"Really?" said Harry after a mouthful of strawberry swirl ice cream.

"Oh yes," continued Fortescue. "Seeing the two of you here makes me realize just how old I am. Now mind you, James would never be caught dead doing his school work..."

When the two best friends woke up one the last day of their summer holiday, they both had high doubts they were going to see Hermione and Ron before the train ride. So the two changed, at breakfast at the bar, and were just heading to lunch after looking at the Firebolt for the last time, when someone yelled both their names.

"HARRY! HEX!"

Sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, was Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Grinning, Alexis and Harry quickly made their way over to them. Ron looked extremely freckled and Hermione looked very tan. They both waved frantically at them.

"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at the two of them as they sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you two had left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and -"

"We got all my supplies already," explained Harry.

"How did you know we were staying at the Leaky Cauldron, Tails?" asked Alexis.

"Dad," said Ron simply.

Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Marge Dursley.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Prongs?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.

"He didn't mean to, Moony," whispered Alexis while Ron roared with laughter. "But damn did she deserve it."

"Thanks, Padfoot," said Harry. "And language."

"Right, sorry."

"It's not funny, Tails," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Moony's there as well!"

Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."

"Awesome!" shouted Alexis. "The New Marauders, together again!"

Harry grinned, Ron smirked, but Hermione shook her head.

"Please tell me we're not actually adopting that title, are we?"

"What's wrong with it?" said Ron, defensively.

"It's just so," started Hermione but she let out a huff instead. "Show them your wand, Ron."

"That's Tails to you, Moony," teased Alexis while Ron pulled out a long, thin box. Hermione rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.

"Look at this," said Ron. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books -" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"What's all that, Moony?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -"

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron. "You're Muggleborn! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Moony?" asked Harry, while Alexis and Ron sniggered. Hermione ignored them.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.

"No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol -"

"I don't have an owl," said Alexis. Ron nodded his head in agreement.

"I haven't either," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

"When did you get a rat?" Alexis asked. She was surprised this was the first time she had ever seen it.

She reached out to bet the poor thing but it scurried away, frightened.

"And why doesn't it like me?"

Ron made a huffing noise and grumbled, "Not all creatures have to like you, Hex."

But that wasn't very true. Alexis got along well with all kinds of creatures whether it be Argus Filch's, Hogwarts' Caretaker, pet cat, Ms. Norris, or Hagrid's briefly owned Norwegian Ridgeback, Norbert.

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who, like Alexis, knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."

So after paying for their ice cream, the four friends crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

Inside, it was very crowded. Every inch of the store walls were covered with cages of some sort and there was just barely enough room to walk with all the cages on the floor. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron waited, examining the cages.

A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.

The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.

"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, Scabbers looked especially dejected.

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother, Percy."

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.

"Er -"

Alexis couldn't deny she was curious to know what made Ron's rat so special but she was starting to have a feeling the reason Ron never showed him off was because he was quite useless.

The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -"

She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!"

A giant, orange something soared off the top of the cages and onto Ron's head. It began wildly swiping for Scabbers, who, in the panic, Ron had let go of.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers scampered for the door.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed while Alexis caught the orange mess before it could charge out after them. Once in her arms, it started purring.

"Oh, look at it, Hex," said Hermione. "What a gorgeous little cat."

"It is?" said the witch, surprised.

The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. There was nothing pretty about this cat, nor was it little. In fact, it looked like it could have been a small tiger. Nonetheless, Alexis agreed with Hermione full heartedly.

"Can I hold it?" asked Hermione.

Alexis handed the cat to her which in turn continued purring, if not twice as much, in Hermione's arms.

"You called it Crookshanks?"

The witch behind the counter nodded.

"Yes ma'am. Crookshanks been here forever. Nobody wants him."

The look in Hermione's eyes told Alexis all she need to know. Two Galleons later, Hermione was carrying her new pet out of the Magical Menagerie, smiling ear to ear, while Alexis carried a bottle of rat tonic. They found the boys standing outside waiting for them.

"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.

"Moony, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

The cat made a loud purring noise before rubbing his head into Hermione's neck.

"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Alexis, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "Quit worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in the girls' dormitory and Scabbers in the boys, what's the problem?"

Ron grumbled the whole way back to the Leaky Cauldron. When they arrived, they found a tall, ginger headed man sitting at the bar reading the Prophet. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, Mr. Weasley.

"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry. He nudged Alexis forward. "This is Alexis, Hex, this is Mr. Weasley."

Mr. Weasley smiled kindly at her but Alexis could only smile faintly. Mr. Weasley, as mentioned before, worked for the Ministry of Magic, which meant he, no matter how indirectly, worked for the Minister of Magic.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Alexis," said Mr. Weasley while shaking her hand. "Fred and George speak very highly of you- though I don't know if that's a good thing- and Ron does too."

"Well I'm glad to know Percy doesn't," Alexis teased.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Alexis saw the now unnecessarily familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at her.

"Still haven't caught him, then?" she said.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money -"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words."

At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts, and the newly elected Head Boy, Percy..

Percy held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."

"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.

"I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. He turned to Alexis and greeted her in a similar manner, Alexis, however, did not even attempt holding back her laugher.

"Harry! Hex!" exclaimed Fred and George, pushing Percy out of the way. They each took one of their hands: Fred Harry's, George Alexis, and shook them vigorously.

"Simply splendid to see you, old boy -" started Fred.

"It's been ages milady -" said George.

Harry was grinning while Alexis fell into a fit of laughter.

"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" said Fred, as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand, too. "How really corking to see you -"

"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride.

"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.

"I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."

Another fit of laughter escaped Alexis as well as Harry.

Mrs. Weasley turned towards them and smiled kindly at Alexis.

"And you must be Miss Alexis," she said. "The boys have all talked about you."

"Merlin help me," Alexis muttered but her smile didn't wavier.

Dinner that night was very similar to the Christmas Feast during Alexis's first year. Tom the innkeeper had put three tables together in a private room, and the six Weasleys, Alexis, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.

Alexis was in the middle of telling Hermione about the interesting facts on the medieval witch hunt Florean Fortescue had told her when Fred spoke.

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?"

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.

Everyone looked up at him.

"Why?" said Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them-"

"- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding, though Alexis patted Percy on the back as reassuring as someone could while laughing.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor..."

Alexis caught Harry making the same look she was making at Mr. Weasley. Something about the way he had said that was questionable.

"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground...You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Ron scowled at Percy. "And you, Harry, Alexis, are you two packed?"

"Never unpacked," said the two of them together. An equally amused grin crossed their faces.

"Would you like Fred and George to move your trunk into Hermione's room after dinner then, Alexis?"

Alexis lifted an eyebrow, surprised and confused.

"Why would they do that?" she asked.

"Well, you don't want to sleep in Harry's-"

"Why wouldn't I want sleep with Harry? We've been sleeping together all month."

To her left, Percy was gagging on his water; across from her, the twins looked like they were going to explode with laughter; next to the twins, Ron was as red as his hair and Hermione was covering her mouth to control her giggling. Mr. Weasley looked very, very amused while Mrs. Weasley looked dumbstruck. It took three seconds and a very long glance at Harry, who was opening and closing his mouth like a guppy, to realize what she had said.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" she yelled but by now the twins had fallen out of their chairs in laughter while Mr. Weasley patted the still choking Percy on the back.

"Looks like Wood was right about those two, Georgie," said a very grinning Fred once his laughter started to subside.

Harry began blushing madly again but Alexis raised a questionable eyebrow before remembering what Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, had told her during her first year.

_'Oh come now Hex. We all know the two of you fancy each other...'_

"_Anyway_," said Alexis, ignoring the twins and her desire to blush, "no, Mrs. Weasley, I'm going to stay in room eleven."

"And sleep in her bed while I sleep in mind," Harry added, still as red as Ron's hair.

The rest of dinner was rather quiet minus the few outburst of laughter from the twins and Alexis, who had taken the awkward situation a great deal better then Harry. After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Alexis and Harry.

"Well that was..." started Harry but he stopped when Alexis grinned at him. "What?"

"Did you see Mr. Weasley's face?" she snickered. "I mean, after getting over the embarrassment of saying that, the Weasley reactions were all very comical."

"But what was so funny about-"

"He looked just like the twins!" Alexis said, laughing fully. "I mean, almost a carbon copy. Ministry or not, that guy is cool."

Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he shot his head up at Alexis.

"What's up?" Alexis said.

"I think I left my necklace at the bar."

Rolling her eyes, Alexis closed her trunk and turned towards the door, Harry right on her heels. They ignored the arguing coming from Percy and Ron's room and headed down the stairs.

"Why did you even take it off?" Alexis whispered.

"I-"

Harry stopped in place. He was standing right outside the private room they had just eaten in and Alexis knew why too. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were arguing but more importantly, they were arguing about Alexis and Harry.

Instantly, the two moved closer to the door and listened.

"...but keeping it a secret is wrong," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. "Fudge just thinks keeping the Alexis away from Harry will keep him safe but she doesn't even know! They both should know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child and Alexis like a common criminal. He's thirteen years old and Alexis is-"

"Arthur, enough!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "I understand that this Alexis girl is Harry's best friend and both Ron and Hermione speak very highly of her but Fudge is the Minister for a reason. Besides, Arthur, the truth would terrify them! Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? And Alexis? Can you imagine if the poor girl knew that was why- for heaven's sake, their happy not knowing!"

"I don't want to make them miserable, I want to put them on their guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "Harry is practically family, Molly, and Alexis seems like such a sweet kid, despite what the Minister thinks. Even Malfoy, Merlin forgive me for agreeing with the bastard, doesn't see her as a threat and I'll admit when I first heard that I didn't like the girl, but Ron and the twins and especially Harry care about her so I do too! But the two are attracted to trouble! They've both ended up in the Forbidden Forest, Harry twice! But they mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to them that night they ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked them up or they hadn't stayed together, I'm prepared to bet one of them would have been dead before the Ministry found them."

"But they're not dead, they're fine, so what's the point -"

"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after -"

"But they'll be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."

"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."

"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry-"

There was a thud on wood followed by soft cursing. Alexis was sure Mr. Weasley had just smashed his fist into the table.

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts.' Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..."

There was a silence. Alexis and Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.

"But you don't think Alexis would... She seems like such a sweet..."

"Molly," sighed Mr. Weasley, "I have high doubts that Alexis would even dream of helping that madman but people have made wrong judgement calls before. Look at Black, they trusted him..."

Another long silence filled the air. Harry gripped Alexis's hand tightly, trying to comfort her if she needed it but Alexis was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's Headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?"

"Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."

"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"

"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that...but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."

"If they save Harry -"

"¨C then I will never say another word against them," said Mr. Weasley wearily. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up..."

Immediately, Alexis and Harry ran to the bar and grabbed Harry's necklace. They stayed their for several minutes, waiting to make sure Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were gone before quietly making their way back up the stairs.

"Going to go 'sleep' you two?" teased Fred as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, Fred," said Alexis dryly, "want to come?"

The wittier of the Weasley twins shut up as George started heaving with laughter. Alexis and Harry however did not enjoy the joke as much. When they reached their room neither of them spoke until they were fully ready for bed.

"Padfoot?" Harry whispered in the dark.

"Yeah Prongs?" breathed Alexis.

"You think we'd be more scared, wouldn't you?"

Alexis let out a snort.

"Honestly," she said, "I'm more confused then anything. Why would I help this Black guy? If I had wanted to I would have let him get you while we were in London."

"Yeah," yawned Harry. "The real problem is the fact that I have no chance of going to Hogmead now..."

"That's the spirit," Alexis yawned, closing her eyes. "A madman is after you, people suspect your best friend might help him get to you, and you're worried about going to Hogmead. Way to keep your priorities straight..."

* * *

Thank you guest for pointing out my mistake with Ginny. As I've said I don't have another set of eyes checking my work (my sister is on vacation) so I really appreciate it.

As for the dinner scene, if you didn't like it or found it inappropriate, sorry. It was based off a very similar situation (no I don't know the Weasleys and I've never been to the Leaky Cauldron, I'm talking about the conversation) in my life that I thought would be very Alexis Lestrangeish so I added it. The conversation is almost identical to the real ones but with a HP twist to it.

Anyway, thanks **Luna the HP fan** for you nice review

Please, **_REVIEW_**!

DCF


	5. Chapter 5

I know, I'm awful. Just forgive my horrible humor and witty jokes (or obvious ones as my lovely sister called them) and read on... Or don't. I'm not your mother, I'm Mami... Okay no more jokes, just please read

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 5: Hogwarts Express

The next morning, when Alexis woke up several hours earlier then she was supposed to, Alexis did what every good best friend did. She let Harry sleep in- for ten minutes at least. That gave herself plenty of time to change, shower, and finish packing before waking Harry the proper way someone wakes their best friend.

_'Three... Two... One...'_

With far more power then she meant, Alexis plopped on Harry's bed, began tickling him, and in a slightly quieter voice then normal, they did have neighbors after all, she shouted, "Good morning sleeping beauty!"

"Hey- OUCH! Damn, Hex, get off."

"Language, Harry," teased Alexis.

"You live with Alexis McPherson half the summer and not pick up some on some bad habits," he grumbled before grinning.

Alexis rolled her eyes, knowing full well he had just stolen her excuse for swearing.

"Why'd you wake me up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep, you know. Too much to think about."

"Like what?" said Harry.

For a long while Alexis was silent. She really wanted to talk to Harry about what was going through her head but for some reason she was hesitant. Alexis was never hesitant about telling Harry anything. He quite literally knew everything about her, from McPherson raising her to her new ability to talk to snakes. This, however, was on a totally knew scale.

"Black," Alexis whispered. "I think maybe, he might be... Or at least know..."

Harry's eyes widened.

"You think Black might be your-"

"It's just a stupid theory," rambled Alexis. "Forget it..."

There was an agonizing long pause between the two friends. Harry's mind was racing through the new theory Alexis had mentioned.

"It makes since," said Harry, finally. "You're parents were Voldemort supporters, Black was one. The Ministry doesn't want you near me 'cause they think you'll help him."

There was another long pause only this time Harry threw his arm around Alexis's shoulder.

"Not that it matters, though. You're still one of my best friends."

The grin that formed on Alexis's face looked almost unnatural. She squeezed Harry in the tightest hug possible. Harry returned it with the same amount of mirth.

This, of course, is exactly how Fred and George found them when they barged into Alexis and Harry's room only seconds later.

"Well lookie here, Georgie," sang Fred.

"Mother would be so disappointed," said George.

"After all-"

"You two did say-"

"You weren't sleeping together."

Harry turned a beet red. Alexis glared. Both twins took the opportunity to enter the room and sit on Alexis's bed.

"You could have knocked," growled Alexis.

"And miss a quality blackmailing opportunity?" said Fred, grinning ear to ear.

"Do we look dense to you?" said George, an equally annoying grin on his face.

"Yes," replied Alexis.

The twins lifted identical eyebrows.

"How so?"

With a quick jump, Alexis landed on her bed in between the twins.

"Because if you tell Mrs. Weasley that Prongs and I were on the same bed together, Harry will tell your mother you two were on my bed with me uninvited."

There was a long pause as Fred and George slowly realized what Alexis had said. When they finally did, their mouths formed giant O's, they quickly got to their feet, and they bowed at Alexis.

"Well played, my dear," said Fred.

"Excellent show, milady," said George.

They both made a rather hasty escape for the door. Once gone, however, the silenced remained. Harry was a deep red still but this time it was from the lack of air he was getting because he was laughing so hard without making a sound. Alexis was just sitting there, proud she had just bested the Weasley twins in their own game, and grinning like a hyena. All thoughts of their previous conversation were gone.

After Fred and George left and their laughter had subsided, Alexis and Harry decided to try and get a few extra hours of sleep. This was easier said then done. Only Harry had been able to fall back asleep and when he did he was plagued by nightmares of the creature he and Alexis had seen right before the Knight Bus had picked them up.

Alexis tried her best to advance her Legilimency and alter his dream to something more pleasant but her skills were not nearly developed enough for that. So instead she would just enter the dream with him and do her best to comfort him. The dream was ended, however, by Tom the innkeeper shaking the two of them awake.

Immediately afterwards, Ron came running into their room looking fowl.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

"We've got something to tell you," Harry began, but was interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron for annoying Percy again.

The five of them made it downstairs together for breakfast where Mr. Weasley was reading the Prophet and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione about her Hogwarts years. The two of them were giggling madly.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down.

"Later," Alexis muttered as Percy stormed in.

Alexis notice right away that the Weasleys truly were the opposite of the Malfoys, who she had spent the last summer with. While the Malfoys were never in a hurry and always prepared the Weasleys seemed to be always in a rush and forgetting things. Not that Alexis minded, in fact, she thought it made a great deal of sense to why the families hated each other.

Neither Alexis nor Harry had a chance to speak to Hermione or Ron during the mayhem that was leaving. They were close to telling them when the all piled in the same Ministry car to get to King's Cross but then Mr. Weasley got in the passenger seat so they decided to wait.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared withAlexis and Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary, though Alexis noticed that they could slide through gaps that a normal car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

Alexis stayed close to Harry and Ron as the made their way to Platform Nine and Three Quarters only to realized Mr. Weasley was right on Harry's heels like a body guard. It took her a second to realize he probably was.

_'The Ministry thinks Black is going to attack you here,'_ thought Alexis.

Harry acknowledged her with the smallest of head nods.

"This Black guy must really have been mental," said Alexis.

Mr. Weasley looked at her in surprise.

"What makes you say-"

"We may be young Mr. Weasley but we're not stupid," said Alexis bluntly. She said nothing more on the subject but she knew Mr. Weasley was watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

But Alexis wouldn't have it.

"If it's all the same to you, Mr. Weasley, last year both Harry and I missed the train because we went last," she said pulling Harry with her towards the platform entrance. "I'm going to go with him."

Before anyone could protest, Alexis and Harry walked quickly through the barrier.

"You know, you're just making it harder for them to trust you, Padfoot," said Harry as they waited for the others.

It took a total of two seconds before Mr. Weasley and a discombobulated Ron to pace through the barrier.

"Well it's annoying!" she hissed. "The Weasleys are cool but Fudge has them in such a panic, it's just so- gah!"

Percy and Hermione suddenly appeared behind Mr. Weasley and Ron. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Hermione caught Alexis's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

_'Poor girl,'_ said Tom McPherson.

"Where have you been?" Alexis accidentally said aloud.

Ron gave her a questionable look but then nodded his head, remembering what he and Harry had learned last year about her late guardian. Alexis knew he thought it strange, the ability to talk to a dead man, but like Harry, he had never questioned it or let it hinder their friendship.

_'Watching,' _replied McPherson._ 'Thinking that if you really want to improve your friendship with the ginger you should tell him about your gift like you did Harry.'_

The Weasley parents started saying their goodbyes to their children.

_'But what if-'_

_'Don't tell me you're afraid, Hex.'_

Alexis held back her snort. A good thing too because just then Mrs. Weasley decided to give her an unexpected hug.

_'I'm not allowed to be afraid, Tom.'_

There was laughter in her head as Mr. Weasley led Harry away.

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley. Alexis wasn't going to follow but she wasn't going to miss what ever secret thing Mr. Weasley told Harry when it would undoubtedly have something to do with her. She pushed into Harry's mind.

_'I figured as much, Padfoot,' _thought Harry. After having Alexis practice he Legilimency skills on him all summer, he could easily tell when she was in his head.

_'Shut up, Prongs,'_ sent Alexis. They both fell silent as Mr. Weasley spoke.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave-" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I-er- Alexis and I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. We didn't mean too," Harry added quickly. "Sorry-"

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for either of you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious..

"No - honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."

"Harry, you must be scared-"

"I'm not," said Harry sincerely. "Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but-"

"Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word-"

"-that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.

"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black."

Harry stared, "What!"

_'He's joking right?' _said Alexis.

"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens-"

"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.

"Swear to me that whatever you might hear-"

"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

"Go, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "And tell Alexis that I'm sorry. I don't want her to think that I agree with-"

"She knows, Mr. Weasley," called Harry, running to the train. "She actually said you were cool."

Harry must have thought the grin on Mr. Weasley's face was worth the hit he received from Alexis when he got on the train.

"You weren't supposed to tell him that, jerk," said Alexis.

"Well, you didn't tell me not to," said Harry.

They started a playful push war while Hermione and Ron looked at the two of them in amusement.

"Come on, let's get a compartment," said Alexis. "There's got to be one empty one on this train."

As fate would have it, there wasn't a single empty compartment left. In the end, Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron settled with the one at the very end of the train. This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window.

"Well this is different," whispered Alexis. Her friends agreed. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Remus Lupin," whispered Alexis at once.

Three set of curious eyes fell on Alexis who just shrugged.

"He met with Moody at the beginning of the summer. Something about a letter from Dumbledore but that's all I heard before Al caught me spying. He was rather impressed when I dodged all nine cutting curses thrown at me."

Harry grinned while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"_Anyway_..." Ron said, turning to Alexis and Harry, "what were you two going to tell us?"

Alexis and Harry explained everything they had heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing about and Harry explained the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When they were finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? But what does that have to do with you, Alexis? Oh, you two...you two will have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble..."

"Hermione," laughed Alexis, "name one time we've ever actually gone looking for trouble."

She opened her mouth- no doubt she was going to mention their last two school years -but Harry cut her off.

"Those don't count," he said. "We weren't looking for trouble, it was looking for us."

"And I suppose trouble pushed you two into the trapdoor after the Sorcerer Stone?" huffed Hermione.

"I don't know," said Harry, "you were there two."

"And your excuse for last year and the basilisk?"

"I was possessed by Tom Riddle!" snapped Alexis, defensively.

"I wasn't going to let her die!" barked Harry just as defensively. "Besides, Tails was with me."

"Don't drag me into this," grumbled Ron.

Alexis snapped her fingers.

"That reminds me, Ron hold still."

Before the ginger could say anything, Alexis had wrapped him in a hug.

"Thank you for helping Scarface save me and for causing permanent brain damage to Lockhart."

"Yeah, well- Hermione helped," said Ron, blushing perfusily.

"She already thanked me," giggled Hermione.

Harry just sat there grumbling about being called Scarface. When Alexis heard him, she grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Harry," she apologized, "I think I might have heard Draco's... words."

By words, Harry knew Alexis meant thoughts. Sure enough, only moments later Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, was standing outside their compartment door. His silvery eyes went soft when they caught sight of Alexis.

"Glad to see you made the train this year, Gryffindor," he teased, a smirk falling on his pale face.

"An 'I missed you this summer, Alexis' would have worked, Draco," said Alexis. She gave her Slytherin friend a hug before nodding at his minions. "Crabbe, Goyle."

The two boys blushed. They were both wide and muscly; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms. Only last year Alexis had discovered they both had a crush on her and she had just gotten over the need to constantly avoid them like the plague.

"Pherson," the two grumbled in voices far to deep to fit them.

"Can't say the same for you, Potter," hissed Draco, his eyes hardening at the sight of Alexis's friends. "Or you Weasel."

Ron jumped to his feet but Alexis stood between him and Draco. She shot Draco a look that told him what she was thinking before he even heard it.

_'No instigating.'_

_'Force of habit, sorry,' _he thought and Alexis wasn't expecting him to say it allowed. Malfoys never apologize, though, last year Lucius Malfoy had been very close to apologizing when he discovered the journal he had given Alexis had nearly killed her. He looked absolutely relieved when he discovered she was still alive.

Crabbe took a step towards Ron but Draco stopped him.

"Who's that?" he said, spotting Remus asleep in the corner.

"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

"Really, you two," groaned Alexis.

"What?" Harry and Draco said together. They glared at each other.

"Come on," muttered Draco. "See you later, Alexis."

Alexis waved as he disappeared down the corridor. She turned towards Harry but Ron beat her to it.

"How'd you know he was a professor?"

"Why else would he be on the train?" Hermione answered for him.

Ron squinted at Remus.

"You don't think he'll be teaching Defense, do you? He looks... fragile."

The four third years remembered their last two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. Neither of them had been very good and they both didn't even finished out the school year. People were starting to think the job was jinxed.

Alexis shrugged saying, "He didn't look like that when I first saw him but that was awhile ago. He probably got sick or something."

A giggle left both girls as Harry and Ron scooted away from the sleeping man.

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.

"Good, I'm not the only one that hears it," said Alexis. "I've been hearing it ever since we got in the compartment."

Ron smirked, "Bet you thought you were going mental."

Alexis smirked back, "Going? My dear Tails, I've already gone. Look who I'm friends with."

"Malfoy," said three unified voices. Alexis rolled her eyes.

"I was going to say you three," she mumbled. "Now let's find out where that fu-"

"Language."

"-fun noise is coming from. Sorry, Harry."

The four of them looked all around the compartment until Ron found that it was coming from Harry's trunk. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"No! Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."

As Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, Alexis gave Harry a queer look. Or at least, it was queer to Hermione and Ron who had no idea Alexis was talking to him without words.

_'I think Remus has been awake this whole time.'_

Harry gave Alexis a surprised look, confusing Hermione and Ron further.

_'You sure, Padfoot?"_

_'No, but I have a feeling.'_

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Ron.

"Nothing," said Alexis. "Just making faces, that's all."

Hermione huffed, "I'll say. Harry looked bewildered and you looked very serious."

"Moony, how many times do I have to say it," laughed Alexis, "I'm always serious."

At that moment Remus gave a horrible choking-cough noise. The compartment fell silent, waiting to see if they had waken their new professor but instead of waking up Remus turned his head over and stayed fast asleep.

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain-"

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" said Hermione.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps- they make you smoke at the mouth- and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next."

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain-"

"-and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

Alexis looked at Harry. She knew he couldn't go because his form had never been signed. Hermione, however, did not.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

Ron looked horrified.

"You're not allowed to come? But-no way- McGonagall or someone will give you permission-"

Harry gave a hollow laugh and Alexis didn't blame him. The likelihood of McGonagall letting him go without his guardian's permission were slimmer then her chances of getting a Firebolt for Christmas.

"We can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle-"

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose-"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare-"

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

Harry laughed bitterly once more.

"He waited until Hex and I were in an alley-"

Alexis promptly covered Harry's mouth but the damage was done.

"HE ATTACKED YOU?" cried Hermione and Ron.

"Now you've done it," grumbled Alexis.

"Sorry," whispered Harry.

"Explain yourselves," ordered Hermione. She crossed her arms making her have a very mother aura to her. Unfortunately for Hermione, Alexis had never had a mother so she had no idea that was something to be afraid of.

"Quiet down, you'll wake Remus," she whispered.

"You can't call a professor by their first name!" Hermione hissed, mortified at the very idea.

"What? Sorry. Just don't freak out when we tell you okay?" Ron and Hermione nodded there heads. "And remember, it was Harry's idea."

"Hey!" said Harry. Alexis shushed him.

"Quiet," she whispered. She turned back to Hermione and a Ron. "After we arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Fudge, the prat, told us we had to stay away from Muggle London but Harry, you know, after blowing up his aunt-"

"I'm still not sorry about it," grumbled Harry.

"-He didn't want to deal with the Wizard World yet. So we snuck out. I had Muggle money thanks to Al and I still had to get Harry his gift because the original plan was to go to the Zoo in Surrey. Instead we went to go sightseeing..."

Alexis explained all the fun she and Harry had had, making Hermione and Ron almost completely forget about Alexis and Harry's run in with Black. But, of course, almost isn't the same as completely. They had just bought their snacks off the trolley when Hermione remembered.

"And when does Black come into this?"

Alexis looked at Harry who shrugged. He handed Alexis a Chocolate Frog.

"You might as well tell them what happened at the coffee shop too."

"Right..." Alexis shook her head. "While we were at the shop, three guys came up to us and asked if they could sit with us. Something about them wasn't right so we left. Then we realized two of them were following us so we decided to hurry back to the Leaky Cauldron. We were almost there when the third guy knocked Harry and me into an alley. They knew who Harry was and drew their wands on us but then one of them realized he didn't have his wand anymore."

"That's when Black comes in," said Harry. "He stole one of their wands and knocked all three of them unconscious before they even had a chance to realize he was there."

"Not that I'm complaining," added Alexis. "About him knocking them out, I mean. They didn't look too friendly either."

"But how'd you get away?" said Ron after a particularly nasty Every Flavor Bean.

"Let's just say Alexis caught him off guard," whispered Harry. Hermione's mouth made an O shape and Ron nodded his head understandingly.

There was a small pause in the compartment where no one knew what to say. Then Hermione started fumbling with Crookshanks's basket.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get off!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

Ron was about to answer back when Remus stirred a second time, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat between Hermione and Ron, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

Alexis was dozing off on Harry's shoulder when Ron spoke.

"You do think he's sleeping, right? I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

The look he was giving Remus's body was one of genuine worry. Harry nudged his shoulder, waking Alexis up fully.

"You check, Hex."

Rolling her eyes, Alexis stretched before turning to her right facing Remus. She bent over to look at him but instead of checking his pulse she read his mind.

_A tall, black hair boy only a few years older then Alexis was sitting by three other boys. One was even taller then the first, with light brown hair; the second was short, slightly round, with mousy brown hair; the last with longer, wavier raven black hair. They were all laughing and Alexis looked closer at the first boy..._

"Harry?"

"What?"

Alexis sat up straight and cleared her throat. Surely the tall, black hair boy wasn't Harry- his eyes had been hazel not green... but they looked so much alike and the last boy, the one with the wavy hair, he looked just like...

"He's alive," Alexis said. "Just dreaming."

Harry lifted an eyebrow but Alexis gave him a look that told him 'I'll tell you later.'

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Remus Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Hermione at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Remus to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

"Something's not right," whispered Alexis. The other three Gryffindors nodded in agreement.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

"Shit!" hissed Alexis. "You're sitting on me."

"Sorry, Hex. Language-"

"Not now."

There was a squeaking sound, and Alexis saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell over their own feet inside.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry-"

"Hey, Neville."

"Oh, Harry, Hex, Hermione, and Ron. Is that you guys? Do you know what's happening?"

"No idea," said Harry as he helped Neville up.

"But I doubt we're going to like it," mumbled Alexis.

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," said Hermione in the shadows. Alexis heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Malfoy?"

"Granger?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Alexis-"

"I'm fine-"

"Get lost, Malfoy-"

"Look Weasel-"

"Just sit down, Draco-"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Son of a-"

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Remus Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Alexis could feel him brush past her as he rose to his feet.

"Now he wakes up," mumbled Alexis but Harry or Draco, she couldn't tell in the dark, elbowed her.

"_Lumos_."

The tip of Remus's wand lit up with a bright hew of warm light.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he made his way to the compartment door.

But the door slid slowly open before Remus could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering light on Remus's wand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Alexis caught sight of its hand on the door and her eyes widened in surprise. It was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Alexis's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

Remus stepped in front of all of them. "None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go."

But the creature ignored him, in fact, it made no recognition of Remus even being present. It's eyes (if it had eyes under that hood that shadowed its face) were boring into Alexis.

"Get back," snapped Draco, much to the surprise of all the Gryffindors. He, along with Harry, had taken a defensive step in front of Alexis.

This, however, did not waver the creature. It moved forward and drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

"Harry! Draco!" screamed Alexis as her two friends' knees buckled and the both fell over.

Alexis rushed towards them. An intense cold swept over her but the cold went deeper then her skin. She felt it in her blood. It was inside her very heart...

All feelings left Alexis. All she felt was cold. She couldn't see. She couldn't breath. There was a strangled cry and she felt herself fall...

And then she heard him. McPherson's scream, his only cry, filled her ears. She wanted to make it stop, she had to save him, but she couldn't... she was still under the paralyzing spell, still helpless, still...

* * *

I've been working on this chapter forever but it was way too long so I had to break it apart. I really didn't want to so that's why it took me so long to post this chapter. I'd like to say chapter six will be done by Tuesday but no promises.

**Luna the HP fan**: thanks for your always pleasant and beneficial reviews! My sister is very glad she wasn't the only one laughing at the dinner scene and I hope you had a few laughs this chapter too! Oh, and you have my permission!

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: thanks for the review but I'm sorry to say I shall not give away the name of Alexis's father. I will, however, depending on how many reviews I get next chapter, post a list of possible candidates. I mean, we already know who mama is, the real fun is figuring out who blessed our world with our Hex... Oh, and no it's not James Potter (I will attempt you are the first to suggest that though)

**PLEASE REVIEW! **

DCF


	6. Chapter 6

I know, about bloomin' time! List at the bottom!

Enjoy

* * *

3 Chapter 6: Home Again

"Alexis! Wake up!"

"Hex, come on!"

Two pairs of arms were shaking Alexis.

"This is your fault, Potter!"

"My fault?" shouted Harry. "That doesn't make any sense, Malfoy!"

"Trouble follows you, you just drag her into it!"

"That's-!"

Alexis let out a groan.

"Shut. Up."

"You're okay!"

Alexis opened her eyes. The lanterns were back on and the train was moving once more. Draco and Harry were hovering over her, both with equally relieved looks on their faces. Neville was crying in Hermione's arms, or vice versa, and Ron was pale but smiling weakly. As for Remus-

"Please, all three of you need to lay down," he said calmly.

"What happened?" Alexis asked Harry. He and Draco sat her down on a seat before taking the two next to her.

"I don't know," said Harry. Draco looked just as lost as Harry. "I remember screaming and then I woke up to Malfoy hitting me."

"No one screamed," said Ron.

"But I heard it too," said Alexis. "It was... Draco?"

Draco shook his head slowly, paler then usual.

"I didn't hear screaming. I heard howling though."

The look Draco gave her made Alexis immediately take his hand. Draco Malfoy was truly terrified of only one thing- werewolves, and not without reason either. His eighth birthday had been ruined when a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback had tried to bite him for reasons still unknown to Draco. He had only just escaped unscathed but it was only from physical scars that he had escaped.

A loud snap made them all jump. Remus was breaking an enormous bar of chocolate into pieces.

"Here, you three especially," he said, handing Alexis, Harry, and Draco the largest of the pieces. "Eat it. It'll help."

Alexis and Draco took a big bite out of their pieces, knowing it would in fact help. Almost instantly they started feeling better. But only Alexis and Draco seemed to eat the chocolate.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked Remus.

"Dementor," said Alexis, Draco, and Remus together.

"One of the Dementors of Azkaban," added Remus, alone. He pointed to the chocolate in Harry's hand. "Eat. It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

He strolled past the three of them and disappeared into the corridor.

"Are you sure you're all okay?" said Hermione, watching them anxiously.

"I didn't know you cared, Granger," snorted Draco, coldly.

"I wasn't asking you," Hermione snapped back. "I was asking Harry and Hex."

"Please," said Alexis, "for the love of Quidditch, don't argue."

There was a small amount of grumbling before anyone spoke.

"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping sweat off his face.

"Well-that thing-the Dementor-stood there and looked around-I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face-and you two-and Hex-"

"I thought you three were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and your knees buckled and started twitching-"

"And Professor Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at the Dementor, and then it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

"Real lively bunch, you hang out with, Alexis," muttered Draco.

"It was a Dementor, Draco," Alexis spat. "Crabbe and Goyle are probably still cowering just because the lights went out."

Draco opened his mouth to retaliate but realized he had nothing to argue with. Crabbe and Goyle were giant pansies when it came to the dark.

Remus returned only moments later. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

Harry took a bite as did the rest besides Alexis and Draco, who had both finished their piece already.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Remus. "Are you three all right?"

"Fine," Harry muttered, embarrassed. Draco nodded semi-politely.

"Absolutely peachy, sir," joked Alexis. It surprised her when Remus smirked and rolled his eyes.

"You're Mad-Eye's... niece, Miss Alexis, correct?" he asked, sitting back down.

"Yes, and you're Remus Lupin."

"Professor Lupin," he corrected but continued to smile.

"Right," said Alexis, clicking her tongue. She went around the room introducing people. "This is Harry, this is Draco, that's Ron and over there is Neville and that's Hermione. They're all in your third year class. I'm in your fifth year."

"You don't look like a fifth year," said Remus.

"She's not," said Draco. "She's just far more advance then the rest of us."

Everyone seemed to be at a loss of words. Twice now, Draco had done something very Gryffindor-like.

"What gives, Malfoy?" said Ron. "First you protect Hex now you complement her. What are you playing at?"

Draco jumped to his feet but Hermione beat him to it.

"People can be nice without having a reason behind it, Ronald."

"Yeah, but Slytherins can't!" defended Ron.

For a moment, Draco looked like he was about to do something he would regret (or Ron would, anyway), but instead he turned on his heels and headed out the door without muttering a single word.

"Remus," said Alexis, "I mean, Professor Lupin, sir, could you excuse us?"

She didn't wait for an answer. Instead Alexis grabbed Ron by the scruff of his robes and dragged him out into the corridor and then into the next compartment. Fred, George, and their best friend Lee Jordan were in it.

"Oi! What's up Hex?" said Fred.

"GET OUT!" she barked.

Knowing far better then to question Alexis when she was on the verge of erupting, the three fifth years scrambled out of the compartment as quickly as they could. Ron let out a weak whimper.

"Why do you always do that?" hissed Alexis, letting Ron go.

"Do what?" he whimpered.

"Question Draco whenever he does something nice?"

Ron looked baffled, like the question Alexis was asking him was so simple and he didn't understand why she had to ask it.

"Because he's a SLYTHERIN!"

"By choice!" Alexis snapped. "The hat wasn't going to put him there originally."

Silence filled the compartment. Ron shifted uncomfortably while Alexis crossed her arms. Even though she wasn't really related to Moody, Alexis had adapted his and McPherson's glare and it was NOT a look you wanted to be caught on the relieving end of.

"He- he could have just told you that," whispered Ron, terrified.

"But he didn't."

"And how do you know?"

Alexis took a deep breath.

_'Now would be a good time to tell him, Hex,'_ said McPherson.

"Right," said Alexis. She took another deep breath. "Tails, I can do Legilimency."

Ron's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"You're a... You're a mind reader?"

Alexis nodded her head, smiling softly. The smile, however, was quickly wiped away.

"Do I look stupid to you? You and Malfoy think it would be funny to-"

What Alexis did next was not smart but at the time she thought it was the only way to prove she wasn't lying to him.

_'I'm not lying,'_ she thought.

Ron gawked at her from the compartment door, her words evidently still in his mind, but instead of accepting what he had heard, instead of realizing Alexis was telling him the truth, Ron did exactly what Alexis was afraid he would do. He slid open the door and shouted four words over his shoulder.

"Get away from me."

Alexis watched him go, her mind swirling.

_'Hex-'_

"You lied to me!" she shouted. "You said he'd understand!"

_'You needed to tell him,' _stated McPherson._ 'He won't tell anyone.'_

"But how do you know?" Alexis asked bitterly, sitting down. "His father works for them, Tom! He only has to tell him-"

_'But he's your friend, Hex.'_

"And he ran away. He didn't accept me."

There was a silence as the train slowed down. Alexis was curled up in a ball staring at the compartment wall, debating on whether or not she should return to Harry, Hermione, and Ron after what had just happened.

_'He didn't tell anyone about me, now did he?'_ whispered McPherson.

"No, but that's different."

_'How so?'_

Another silence. Alexis climbed to her feet and left the compartment.

_'I've never led you astray before, Hex. I'm not going to start.'_

"I know," sighed Alexis. She departed the train alone and only halfheartedly acknowledged Hagrid, Hogwarts gamekeeper and Alexis's friend who just so happened to be a half gaunt, when he waved at her. The mass of students dragged her along a muddy path where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited there for them. Standing not far off were Remus, Draco, and Harry. Harry looked like he was waving and when Alexis followed his eyes she caught a glimpse of Hermione and Neville waving back from one of the stagecoaches as it moved on its own towards Hogwarts.

Gradually, Alexis made her way over to her two best friends and new professor.

"Ah, there you are Miss Alexis," said Remus kindly. "We've been waiting for you."

Alexis lifted an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because Professor Lupin has been told to escort us to the school so our Heads of House can check on us," grumbled Draco. Alexis couldn't help to notice the sarcasm in the way he said Professor and the tone he used for escort made it sound more like babysit.

"Just get in the carriage, Malfoy," said Harry. "We're the only ones left."

This was very true. The last of the other students had just climbed into a stagecoach, which immediately began following the path to Hogwarts. The three students and professor climbed in and, much to the dismay of Harry and Draco, Alexis sat beside Remus.

When they arrived at Hogwarts, the last of the students were scurrying inside. Remus, who seemed to be in no hurry at all, led the three through the great doors, across the Entrance Hall, and straight to the infirmary. They were greeted by the scowl of Severus Snape, but much to the amazement of Alexis and Harry, the scowl was not directed towards them.

"Remus," sneered Snape.

"Severus," Remus said calmly. He looked around the room. "I don't see Professor McGonagall or Madam Pomfrey."

"That's because they're not here."

_'I have a feeling Snape doesn't like Professor Lupin,'_ thought Harry.

Unintentionally, Alexis snorted, "You think?"

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek, McPherson," hissed Snape.

"You can't do that, school hasn't started yet... Sir."

Harry smirked, Remus's lip twitched, and Draco, who remained completely unemotional on the outside, thought she was a smartalec. To make matters better, before Snape could retaliate, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey entered.

"Apologizes," said McGonagall, "Poppy was waiting on me while I spoke to Miss Granger about her class schedule."

"Quite alright," said Remus. "The three only need a quick checkup, I think. I gave them chocolate on the train."

"Setting Dementors around a school," Pomfrey muttered, checking all three third years temperature. "They won't be the last ones who collapse. Yes, they're all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate-"

"I'm not delicate!" said Alexis, Harry, and Draco crossly.

"Of course you three are not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking each of their pulse.

"What do they need?" said McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest?"

"No, no," said Pomfrey. "The best thing for them would be chocolate and our new professor seems to have already given them some." She flashed Remus a kind smile while Snape scuffed. "All I would suggest is that the three of you eat mainly chocolate desserts tonight."

With that, Alexis found herself walking to the Great Hall with Harry and Draco, the professors having already hurried off to make the sorting.

"Hey, are you okay, Hex?" asked Harry.

"You mean, besides being a victim of a Dementor?" snorted Draco but after closer examination he added, "do we need to take you back? You look dreadful."

"Really supporting, Malfoy," said Harry. He turned back to Alexis. "This doesn't have anything to do with you and Ron's discussion about-"

Harry stopped abruptly, leading to a raised eyebrow from Draco.

"I'll tell you two later when we're alone," replied Alexis, picking up the pace. Both Draco and Harry grabbed one of her arms. "You know, for two people who hate each other you both are awfully in sync."

"I don't hate Malfoy/Potter," said the two boys at the same time. "What?"

"What do you mean you don't hate me, Malfoy?" asked a bewildered Harry.

"I mean, I don't hate you Scarface," sneered Malfoy. "I don't like you either for that matter, but I can tolerate you for Alexis's sake."

Harry just stared blankly at him before turning to Alexis.

"You've created a monster."

"Oi!" snapped Draco, turning red. "Look, you Halfblood-"

"Draco!"

Draco huffed loudly and Harry smirked. Thankfully, the two had forgotten their inquiry with Alexis and continued the rest of the way to the Great Hall in complete silence.

"Aren't you coming in, Malfoy?" asked Harry when Draco stood back.

"Just because I don't hate you Potter doesn't mean I want people seeing us around each other," said Draco. "Last year was bad enough."

Harry nodded in agreement. Last year, thanks to a certain blonde hair git, Alexis, Draco, and Harry had been named the 'Golden Trio' by the _Daily Prophet_. The paper had made them sound like the best of friends (not to mention huge Lockhart fans), and no matter what Harry or Draco did, though Alexis wasn't much help with her sarcasm, they couldn't convince people otherwise. Draco, however, had suffered the worst from it and had only recently ended the rumors his fellow Slytherins were spreading about him being friends with the Boy Who Lived.

"Looks like we missed the Sorting," whispered Harry.

He and Alexis hurried to the Gryffindor table, doing their best to ignore everyone's eyes that were staring at them. Unlike Harry, however, Alexis was not one to ignore things that bothered her.

"What?" she barked and every eye following them looked away.

Alexis took her seat between Harry and Ron, who stiffened when she sat down but otherwise ignored her presence. Hermione, however, flashed her a charming, bucktooth, smile.

"Where were you two?" Hermione muttered to Alexis and Harry.

Harry was about to start explaining when Alexis hushed him.

"Dumbledore is about to speak."

Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School, was one of the few people Alexis would willingly trust with her life. He was a wise and very old fellow with very long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He also had a great deal more energy then one would would expect from a man who had just celebrated his eleventy-first this summer. Dumbledore was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Alexis trusted him. That was because of her late guardian telling her to and the man refusing to let the Ministry take her away when she first arrived at Hogwarts.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

He paused, and Alexis remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Alexis and Harry glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them any reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors."

Alexis did her best to ignore Percy Weasley, who had puffed up his chest in pride while showing off his Head Boy badge. Dumbledore continued once more.

"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Very few people seemed to clap at this unsurprisingly. The last two Defense teachers had been washouts in everyone's opinion and the chance of Remus being any different didn't look likely to most. In fact, only the people who had been in Alexis's compartment during the Dementor attack- besides Draco -clapped enthusiastically at all.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the pitiful applause for Remus Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

"Alright, Hagrid!" shouted Alexis as an enormous amount of cheering filled the room, which seemed to mainly becoming from the Gryffindor table. She couldn't help but notice the ruby red color her half-giant friend had become and the grin hidden behind his bushy beard.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Alexis, not having to be told twice, began eating away with as much gusto as Ron (who hadn't even looked at her since she entered the Great Hall). She was halfway through her third helping of mash potatoes and meatloaf when an ear piercing crackle filled the hall.

Swimming through the air lazily was none other then Peeves himself. A great deal of students acted on instincts to cower when he began singing:

"_They'll suck away you're souls, they will_

_They'll suck away you're souls, I swear!_

_Dementors never playing nice,_

_You can't even put up a fight!_

_They'll suck away you're souls they will,_

_And leave you here without a care._

_As mindless shells you will be_

_Without a care from them or me!_

_They'll suck away you're souls, they will-_

"Oh, look!" Peeves said, cutting off his song. "Ickle Firsties!"

He dove through the crowded tables, making a righteous mess, before summersaulting in the air, giving Alexis a loopy grin, and diving through the floor crackling along the way. As horrible as the song had been and as inappropriate as it was for her to do such a thing, Alexis let out a laugh of her own.

"Man, I missed Peeves," she said but Harry just gawked at her. Actually, everyone was gawking at her. "What?"

At last, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed. Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron rushed up to the teacher's table to congratulate Hagrid when a strong arm grabbed Alexis and twirled her in the opposite direction.

"Cedric!"

The sixth year Hufflepuff smiled at his Gryffindor friend, his grey eyes filled with warmth. He had grown over the summer, something Alexis hadn't thought was possible, and towered now over almost every student in his year.

"Miss me, Hex?" Cedric teased, giving his unofficial little sister a tight hug.

"That's a trick question, right?"

Cedric laughed before lifting an eyebrow at her.

"You, uh... You grew a lot over the summer," he mumbled.

Alexis couldn't help but to blush at that. She really had grown over the summer but not exactly height wise. It was safe to say, Alastor Moody would forever be grateful for his pupil Nymphadora Tonks for being a girl.

"I'm going to be beating up a lot of boys this year," Cedric added.

Alexis smirked at him, "It's not my fault! It's genetic... I think."

With another quick hug, Alexis caught up with her friends just as Hagrid blew his nose in a tablecloth size napkin.

"...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

McGonagall shooed them away and Alexis only had a few seconds to give her favorite half-giant a hug before she, Harry, and Hermione, Ron had run off mumbling something about wanting to be alone, joined the rest of the Gryffindors on their way to the Common Room. They stopped twice on the marble stairs, both time to help Neville up when he forgot the steps that weren't actually there, before making it to the seventh floor.

"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"

"Oh no," said Neville sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.

They filed through the portrait and into the Common Room. Once inside, Alexis could only think one thing:

_'Its good to be home.'_

One look at Harry and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

* * *

Quick notes: I rewrote this chapter four times, not even joking, before deciding this is as good as I was going to get it. At first Ron was understanding of Alexis's gift but I just felt like it was too OOC so I did it this way and yes Draco is turning OOC but only slightly. He isn't going to become Harry's pal or anything but he does understand Alexis is his friend too. Also, I pulled a little Lord of the Rings into this with the eleventy-first thing. I wasn't going to originally but Dumbledore really was that old that year and I would be a fool not to make the most of it.

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: very good guess to why the Dementors like (though like might not be the right term) Alexis, though it's a little more detailed then that and when I say that I really mean VERY LITTLE more detailed.

**Luna the HP fan**: Your wish is my command it's just going to be awhile before you see the prejudiceness and it will be mainly, if not only, from adults because it's not like her classmates know here heritage.

**Kuroi-Akuma-Okami**: glad you like it, here's the list

Okay quick notes on the list. 1) It would probably be wise of me to say that this list is not in any order. 2) Some of these characters have not appeared yet in the story and therefore do not have nearly as much, shall we say, hints, leading you to believe they could be Alexis father but don't mark them off the list yet 3) It should also be noted that originally I was going to make a list of people who COULD NOT be Alexis father just to mess with you people but I was verbally and physically threatened by my little sister not to so...

**_The List of Who's Bellatrix's Baby Daddy! AKA Who's Alexis's Old Man!_**

**Tom Marvolo Riddle** (Good old Voldie)

**Severus Snape** (this was not an original choice but my lovely reviewers convinced me otherwise in book one)

**Rodolphus Lestrange** (wouldn't this be unexpected?)

**Rabastan Lestrange** (Bros before bro's wife... Or not)

**Barty Crouch Jr. **(Why else would he torture the Longbottoms in his free time? You think he did it for fun?)

**Cornelius Fudge **

**Lucius Malfoy** (Just... Just 'cause)

**Amycus Carrow **(not sure if everyone knows who he is...damn side characters)

**Antonin Dolohov** (This is NOT the same Antonin from my Alice Moody story)

**Evan Rosier** (...hehe... Love you Moody)

**Sirius Black** (no explanation for this one. I want you to suffer and be scarred)

**Remus Lupin** (what? It'll make since... Probably...)

**Igor Karkaroff **

**Albus Dumbledore**

**Arthur Weasley**

Okay, Fudge was a complete joke as was Artie Boy and Dumbledore. I just thought the face my sister made when I read off those names was funny so I added them. Three others on that list aren't actual choices but I'm not saying which ones. Why? 'Cause I'm bloody bored and want to make you people suffer... Luuuuvvvvv youuuuuu!

For real though, stupidness aside, who do you think it is or hope it is? Love to know so send a **_review_** or **_vote_** on my profile poll.

**Please Review! Please Vote!**

DCF


	7. Chapter 7

Soo... I'm not dead! Sorry it took so long lovelies I've been going through this horrible time consuming thing called life that I swear I'll try to avoid until I get this baby finished.

Sorry that it's sorta short too!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: What Does Puberty Have to Do with It?

Despite Ron completely ignoring her at breakfast, Alexis was having a rather enjoyable morning. Cedric had nearly tackled her in front of everyone when she entered the Great Hall. Everyone was looking at them when Alexis let out an uncharacteristic yelp in surprise while Cedric crackled like a mad man.

"Did I scare you, Hex?" Cedric teased as he lowered Alexis to the ground from his hug.

Alexis mock glared at him.

"More like, took me by surprise. How was your summer?"

Breaking into a grin, Alexis watched in amusement as her older-brother-in-every-way-but-blood explained what he had done over the break. None of the Gryffindors seemed to care that a sixth year Hufflepuff was sitting at their table practically force feeding one of their third years. In fact, Oliver Wood, a seventh year Gryffindor and Alexis's Quidditch Team Captian, found Cedric's actions justified on account of last year his star Chaser had been very food neglected (as well as sleep) thanks to a certain cursed diary.

"Make sure she eats some fruit, Ced," said Wood with a toothy grin.

"Guys!" said Alexis before a second spoonful of oatmeal was stuffed down her throat. "I can eat by myself."

"You lost that privilege last year," said Wood plainly. "We need you in tiptop shape for Quidditch this year."

"Yeah, that way when Hufflepuff wins, Oliver can't blame it on you," teased Cedric.

Alexis gave up. She looked over to Harry who was sitting in between the Weasley twins and Hermione. All four of them were watching in amusement.

"Don't forget we'll be taking our Potion OWLS this year, Hex," said Cedric. "You know, on account that they were canceled last year."

Last year, as a reward for saving the school from being closed down, all end of the year exams had been canceled, including all OWLS (though NEWTS were still given). For a brief moment, Ron and Alexis shared a knowing smile before Ron resumed ignoring her.

"So that means I have to take my Potions and Divinations OWLS along with my Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfigurations this year," said Alexis. Everyone near her scooted back when she smiled widely. "Awesome."

"Right, here are your new course schedule," said Percy, walking up to them proudly. "As Head Boy, Professor McGonagall has entrusted me with handing these out. I, of course, won't be one to let her down."

Alexis didn't even bother to hide her eyeroll.

_'What a ninny,'_ laughed McPherson making Alexis giggle softly.

"Here you are Miss McPherson," said Percy. He handed her a long parchment with her class times on it. "I do hope you're prepared for all the classes you're taking."

He walked off in what Alexis assumed he thought was a elegant manner but in truth made him look ridiculous.

"Our brother," sighed George.

"Is a nutter," finished Fred.

Alexis couldn't agree more. She gave Cedric a quick hug, waved to Harry and Hermione, and grabbed one last slice of toast for Wood's sake before heading off to her first class.

"Double History of Magic," Alexis read aloud. "With the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw fourth years... Fun."

Shifting her satchel, Alexis hurried down the hall, knowing full well she had to make it early if she wanted to get a seat in the back. She was an excellent student but even Hermione, girl who takes notes for everything, couldn't stay completely awake in Professor Binns class. Maybe it was because he was a ghost or that he had been very old when he had died, Binns spoke in a very monotone voice that could put even the most concentrated student to sleep and two hours of it was just pure torture.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the wind and out of nowhere a nearly transparent boy with pasty white skin, raven-black hair, and orange eyes of mayhem appeared in front of Alexis. He was grinning a Cheshire grin and was floating with his legs crisscross underneath him.

"Peeves," said Alexis grinning back at him.

"Oh me, oh my, how does time fly?" sang Peeves, swooping towards Alexis. "You don't look a thing like the Ickle Firstie I found out in the woods."

"You didn't find me, Peeves," corrected Alexis, still heading to class. "Mrs. Norris did."

"Well, I threw her your direction," pointed out Peeves. "Quite literally too."

Alexis laughed softly as her poltergeist best friend floated through the air at her side, miming as if he was doing the backstroke. She had most definitely missed Peeves antics though there had been a few occasions she had been rather... peeved by them. First year when he stuck Alexis and Harry under a mistletoe was one example.

"I'll see you around, Peeves," said Alexis, entering the classroom. She just barely caught sight of Peeves saluting her in a mock military style before he dove through the floor crackling.

Smiling softly, Alexis made her way inside the History of Magic classroom. Only two other students were there, both of which were girls and Ravenclaws. One was a very pretty Asian girl with long dark hair and dark eyes while the other was a fine skinned, curly reddish-blonde hair girl who looked to have a constant smile on her face. Alexis recognized the first as Cedric's girlfriend Cho Chang.

"Hi," said Cho. Alexis waved politely at her. "Hex isn't it?"

Alexis opened her mouth to reply but Cho beat her to it.

"Of course it is," she said and Alexis swore she thought she heard spite in her words. "Everyone knows who you are. It's Marietta and I who need to do introductions. I'm Cho Chang and this is Marietta Edgecombe."

Marietta waved while Alexis blinked in confusion.

"I know who you are, Cho," said Alexis, almost unsure of herself. "Cedric told me about you."

"Good so you know he's my boyfriend right?" said Cho with a false giggle. "And you'd understand if I don't like it when, oh I don't know, when he makes a fool of himself in front of everyone to say hello to you, right? Because people might get the wrong idea and think you and him are a thing with how close you two are."

Alexis couldn't help but to let her jaw hang a little bit in shock. She had no earthly idea what was going on. Shaking her head both to remove her confusion and McPherson's laughter, Alexis raised an eyebrow at Cho.

"Huh?" was all Alexis could think to say.

"Oh, very ladylike," giggled Marietta. "You don't have anything to worry about, Cho."

Before Alexis could breath out another huh, the classroom doors open up and the rest of the class started filling in. Katie Bell, a fellow Gryffindor and the Quidditch Teams reserved Chaser, took her seat next to Alexis. When she saw the baffled look on her young friend's face, she gave Alexis a confused look herself.

"What's wrong, Hex?" she asked in her usual motherly way.

"I think I was just threatened," said Alexis blankly, the confused look not leaving her face. "Over a boy."

Katie grinned widely at Alexis before patting her on the back.

"Welcome to puberty, Hex."

As much as Alexis had been hoping to take a nap in class, what Cho and Marietta had said to her had made her too confused to put her head down. McPherson didn't help.

_'But what does puberty have to do with it?'_ thought Alexis as she made her way out of the class towards Charms. McPherson didn't answer her, instead he laughed.

"I'm serious here!" Alexis snapped in a harsh whisper.

_'That's what makes it so funny, Hex,'_ said McPherson. _'You're just so innocent.'_

Alexis scoffed, "Hardly."

"Talking to yourself, Hex?" teased Fred.

"People will think you're mental," added George.

Alexis rolled her eyes both at the twins tease and at McPherson who was still laughing before taking her seat in the front of the class. This was one of the few ways she got back at Fred and George, who both detested sitting in the front but hated passing up an opportunity to mess with their little third year.

"Good morning class!" said Professor Flitwick. He sent Alexis a soft smile.

Professor Flitwick was one of Alexis's favorite professors. There was rumor that he was half goblin on account of his height and claw-like fingers but his personality begged a differ. Unlike goblins, or at least what Alexis had heard about them seeing she had never met one, Flitwick was kind, gentle, and fair. He never cheated anyone and very rarely punished students. When he did, Flitwick was the kind of teacher to assign extra practice instead of detention.

Alexis was one of Professor Flitwick's favorite students too or at least the twins like to say so. Alexis thought it had to do with her telling her last Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gidleroy Lockhart, off on his dueling skills and sharing with the school the not-so-well-known fact that Flitwick was a master dueler that had never lost a duel in his life. Everyone else said it was because she was capable of keeping the Weasley twins in line.

With a satisfied smile, Professor Flitwick finished roll call. He looked at his students with his goofy but sweet manner.

"As fifth years at Hogwarts, you will all be taking OWLS. I'm sure you other professors will tell you just how serious these test can be seeing that they effect..."

Alexis, as much as she enjoyed Flitwick's little speeches, became distracted when she noticed three Slytherin boys whispering across the room from her. It wouldn't have bothered her at all if she hadn't noticed they kept looking at her. Against her usual self restraint to not prob her fellow classmates minds, Alexis pushed into the closest of the threes brain. Her entrance went unnoticed but she nearly gave herself away when she heard what they were talking about.

"Marcus said so, that Hex girl is one of them," said the first Slytherin.

"But how does he know?" asked the second Slytherin.

"You know the Flints are high up there in the Ministry," answered the Slytherin who's mind Alexis was in. "They've got connections to finding out all the dirty secrets. Marcus over heard his father talking to Octavius Lestrange about Alexis-"

"Mr. Warrington," said Professor Flitwick. Alexis quickly pulled out of the Slytherin's mind. "Care to share with the rest of the class what you thought was so important that it couldn't wait until lunch?"

The Slytherin smiled slyly at Flitwick.

"I was only asking if we'll need to know both the Levitation and the Growth Charm on the OWLs or just one, professor," he lied way too easily for Alexis's liking. However, Flitwick took the answer and continued on his explanation of the OWLs. Alexis looked over at the three Slytherins only to find the one called Waerington looking at her smugly.

_'Something wicked this way comes,'_ said McPherson.

"Oh shut up," grumbled Alexis.

.

By the time Alexis made it to lunch she was righteously confused. Taking a seat next to Harry at the table, Alexis sighed before leaning against her best friend.

"Rough first day?" Harry asked.

"Just confusing," replied Alexis. She sat up straight before grinning at him. "I'm in Care for Magical Creatures with you after lunch."

"Yes, well that's what our course schedule says," said Hermione, completely missing the significance that Alexis and Harry saw in this.

"No, Moony," whispered Harry. "This is Padfoot's first class, with us. The New Marauders are finally going to be together!"

"But we're always together, Harry," said Hermione. "We're in the same House, so it's hard not to be, really."

Alexis shook her head.

_'She just doesn't get it Prongs,' _she said.

_'Guess not, Padfoot,' _thought Harry.

"So how was Divinations?" Alexis asked aloud, already seeing the weird looks she and Harry were getting. "Did Trelawney predict one of your deaths?"

Three jaws dropped at once. Hermione was the most composed but still rather surprised, Harry looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his glasses, while Ron, who was sitting on Harry's right, had his jaw so low his soup was dripping from it like a faucet.

"She predicts a death every year," clarified Alexis. "She predicted mine in first year but McGonagall had pre-warned me. She said I was going to die right after my best friend and by the same snake, whatever that means. So, who was it she predicted this time?"

"Harry," said Hermione. "And Professor McGonagall told us that she makes a death prediction every year during Transfigurations today and that they never come true. We were going over Animagi."

Before Hermione could successfully change the subject, Ron butted in.

"Harry, you haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," said Harry. "Hex and I both saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."

Alexis nodded her head in agreement but Ron ignored it. He was staring in complete befuddlement at Harry.

"Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly.

Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's - that's bad," he said. "My - my uncle Bilius saw one and - and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

Ron looked like he was about to blow up when he suddenly jumped to his feet and stormed off, mumbling, "What's wrong with my bloody friends."

Alexis, Harry, and Hermione all exchanged glances. Finally Harry sighed and stood up.

"I'll go talk to him," he said before running off, leaving the two girls alone.

Hermione smiled at Alexis who grinned back.

"And how was your first class?" Hermione asked softly giggling.

"Okay," said Alexis with a shrug. "Um, Moony?"

"Yes, Hex?" said Hermione, looking back at her book.

"Can I ask you a weird question?"

"Not too weird."

"Okay," said Alexis, taking a deep breath. "Um, do you know what puberty has to do with being threatened?"

With a loud thump, Hermione closed her book and looked at Alexis with a very concerned and curious look.

"Care to explain?"

Alexis took another deep breath.

"Well, you see..."

* * *

Haha, poor Alexis is so oblivious to teenage drama but will Hermione be able to help her? And what was Cho going all defensive about anyway? AND what were those sneaky Slytherins talking about? All shall be revealed soonish...

Anyway, thanks for the reviews!

**GodShynin300: **the trauma, the drama, and the down right destroy our beloved Hex if it were... And just might be ;D or might not ;P

**Kuroi-Akuma-Okami:** Your... Welcome? haha I'm glad that you didn't want to see Sirius on the list either but it's so fun mentioning him as an option! All the odd looks you get, it's the best!

**Luna the HP fan:** you totally gave me an idea ;P haha. I like how your hoping for Malfoy just because of the drama it would bring, though I wouldn't count any of those other Deatheaters out yet. Anyway, always enjoy your reviews!

**StrawberryObsession:** Of course choosing Rodolphus would be funny as hell and down right disappointing to some of you but your reasoning to why it can't be Sirius made me laugh so thanks!

**Ingrid:** I'm. Glad. You. Think. So. And I apologize for taking so long on fulfilling your request on an update.

**Guest:** It's being discussed ;D

**Phoenixfelicis07:** glad you enjoyed Remus's reaction to Hermione being called Moony and Alexis's unintentionally quoting of a certain scruffy Marauder. You, my friend, have the most amazing theories and reasoning to why and why not it can be certain people as Alexis's dad. And the answer to your question about Rosier is while Bellatrix's mother's maiden name is Rosier it is not clear what her relationship is to Even Rosier. That leaves it up to them being siblings, cousins, aunt and nephew and even eighth cousins twice removed. It should also be noted that Sirius's parents were third or fourth cousins if Rosier does turn out to be Alexis's father

Thanks again, and review!

Oh, and for any of you Alice Moody fans, I swear I've been working on the next chapter but you need to understand there isn't anything to go off of when it comes to Madeye Moody at Christmas and I want him to be as Madeyeish as possible while still being Alice's dad. I'll hopefully have the next chapter done soon.

Remember, **_review_**!

DCF


	8. Chapter 8

Short chapter and really a filler for the important stuff

Enjoy nonetheless!

* * *

Chapter 8: Hippogriffs and Pansies

Hermione had not been any help to Alexis. In fact she had only made Alexis even more confused.

"Hex," said Hermione with a giggle. "I think Cho's jealous."

"But what does that have to do with me?" asked Alexis a little louder then necessary.

Hermione rubbed her temple, clearly trying to think of a better way to explain this to Alexis. She gave Alexis a very affectionate mother look, not that Alexis knew that's what the look was, before trying again.

"Hex, I think Cho is jealous of you," Hermione said slowly. "You're relationship with Cedric anyway."

Alexis nodded her head slowly before saying, "Oh, now I get it."

"You do?"

"No!" said Alexis, once more louder then necessary. "What does my and Cedric's friendship have to do with Cho not liking me?"

Just then the Weasley twins decided to take a seat on either side of Alexis. They were both grinning broadly and Fred went as far as to wink at Hermione who blushed.

"Our dear, dear Hex," started Fred.

"Why didn't you tell us you were having trouble?" said George.

"Because it's girl trouble," stated Hermione matter-of-factly.

The twins ignored her.

"So puberty," said Fred.

"Nothing like it," added George.

"All these new, fuzzy feelings running through you-"

"Your body changing, making you feel... Different from everyone else."

Alexis dared a questionable glance at Hermione. She discovered her to be a beat red color with her head buried in her Arithmancy book.

'Why does she look like that?' Alexis thought. McPherson's laughter did not comfort her.

"Now you've got a new body," continued Fred.

"And sometimes," said George.

"Especially in the case of Georgie and I-"

"People, especially those who are less..."

"Fortunate as you-"

"Get jealous," stated George. "And in other words, they feel threatened by you."

"Especially the girlfriend of a boy who openly showed affection to another girl in front of everyone-"

"No matter how wrongly that girl took that affection," added Hermione, much to everyone's surprise. "I mean, honestly, Cedric sees you as his little sister."

"Welcome back to the conversation, darling," teased Fred, making Hermione blush again. "I'm glad to see you're only as red as an apple now instead of a tomato."

"Oh, shut it," Hermione snapped, standing up. "Come on, Hex. We're going to be late for Hagrid's class."

Before Alexis could protest, Hermione was pushing her out of the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were waiting for them in the Entrance Hall. Alexis tried to get Hermione to explain what Fred and George had meant but Hermione refused to speak in Ron's presence and Ron just refused to speak. Harry was never one to start conversation so Alexis just let out a sigh before continuing with her friends in their silent march to class.

Only a few paces ahead of them, Alexis recognized Draco walking with a Slytherin girl Alexis safely assumed was Pansy Parkinson. The sight of the two talking made Alexis grin, remembering full well how last summer Draco had written letters to Pansy religiously. How they were talking in hush tones and walking so close together told Alexis he had continued writing her.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, beckoning the class to follow, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

"How?" sneered a Slytherin boy Alexis didn't recognize.

"Stroke it," said Alexis as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Evidently it wasn't, seeing that only Alexis and Harry's books weren't bonded close in some way. Nonetheless Hagrid beamed at her.

"Five points ta Gryffindor," he said rather jolly. "Now, I'll be right back with yer first Magical Creature."

Hagrid ran off into the forest and out of sight.

"What a oaf," jeered Goyle, ironically. All the Slytherins minus Draco, who knew Alexis was fond of Hagrid, and Pansy, who didn't because Draco hadn't, laughed.

"Real creative, Goyle," Alexis hissed. "I can really see that silver tongue you Slytherins are so proud of."

"You would know, wouldn't you, Pherson," chuckled Crabbe before earning a rough elbow from Draco.

Before Alexis could demand an explanation, Lavender Brown, a fellow Gryffindor, let out a loud 'Ooooooh!'.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most beautiful creatures Alexis had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone besides Alexis drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

"Wow," breathed Alexis. She most definitely saw what Hagrid was talking about. She was fascinated by them, admiring each of the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

"Right - who wants ter go first?"

Alexis didn't even use words to answer Hagrid's question, instead, she practically flew over the fence.

"Hex, wait!" Harry warned.

Alexis grinned.

"Oh, come on, Harry," she said. Reluctantly, Harry followed her.

"Get on you two!" roared Hagrid. "Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak, Harry."

He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath.

"And Hex, let's see how yeh get on with Blackwing. Mind you, he's a little bit of a trickster."

Alexis was bouncing on her heels as Hagrid brought around another Hippogriff, this one with inky black feathers instead of grey.

"This is so awesome," Alexis whispered. Harry looked at her as if she was crazy.

Slowly, the two Gryffindors approached their Hippogriffs but the reactions of them said Hippogriffs were different. Alexis's almost immediately bowed while Harry's seemed to take longer to size him up. When it finally had, Alexis had already been petting Blackwing for five minutes.

"Righ' then," said Hagrid. "I reckon they migh' let yeh ride them!"

Alexis watched in amusement as Hagrid hoisted Harry onto Buckbeak's back. However, when Hagrid moved over to help Alexis onto her Hippogriff as well Alexis was already mounted. In every way, she looked ecstatic.

"This is going to be great!" Alexis exclaimed, scratching just above Blackwing's wings. He made a squawking noise in agreement. Harry, on the other hand, looked like he was forcing a calm face.

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping both the Hippogriffs' hindquarters.

Alexis let out a whoop as she and Blackwing left the ground along with Harry and Buckbeak. She had never flown on anything other then a broomstick before, but Alexis would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy riding Blackwing. Harry, however, looked like he was putting on a very brave face.

_'Having fun?'_ Alexis thought, grinning.

_'Don't talk to me right know,' _thought Harry, gripping Buckbeak's feathers tightly.

Alexis couldn't help but to laugh. The two Hippogriffs flew them around the padlock twice before landing them. It wasn't a very graceful landing, Alexis had definitely had smoother, but it was impossible to tell with how wide she was grinning.

"Good work you two!" roared Hagrid as everyone except the Slytherins cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Alexis and Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Alexis and Harry watched.

"That wasn't too bad," Harry breathed finally.

"Yeah," snorted Alexis. "You looked like you were having a ball."

Harry elbowed Alexis playfully. They continued watching their fellow classmates with the Hippogriffs. Draco and Pansy had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Draco, but Pansy was shaking with fear.

"You got to show it respect, Pansy," said Draco encouragingly. "You can do it."

"I-I don't want to bare my neck at that bird monster," said Pansy.

It happened in a flash. Draco pushed Pansy out of the way just as the insulted Hippogriff swiped his great, steely talons. Next thing everyone knew, Draco was clutching his arm as Hagrid wrestled Buckbeak back into his collar.

"Merlin!" screamed Pansy. "He's bleeding to death!"

"Pansy, I'm not dying," grumbled Draco, wincing as his bleeding arm was grabbed by his hysterical girl-that-was-a-friend. "It's just a scratch, see?"

But Pansy was screaming and so was most of the girls in the class. Draco's arm was bleeding badly, covering his and the hysterical Pansy's robes.

"Someone get the gate," ordered Hagrid.

Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Draco easily. Blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.

The rest of the class followed a great deal slower. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

"They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was still in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

"It was an accident," stated Alexis. Wisely, no one dared question her.

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Alexis, Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

"You think he'll be all right?" said Hermione nervously.

"Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse.

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him..."

"Draco wouldn't do that," spat Alexis. She looked apologetically at her friends. "Sorry."

"It's alright, Hex," said Harry, patting Alexis's shoulder. Alexis nodded her head.

"I'm going to check on him, okay?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Alexis?" asked Hermione. "I mean, Pansy is going to be there and after Cho-"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," said Alexis with a sigh. "But I'm going to anyway. Draco's my friend."

"Wait," said Harry. "What's this about Cho?"

Alexis smiled at her friends.

"You can explain, Moony," she called hurrying down the stairs.

Alexis quickly made her way to the hospital wing. She was hesitant to enter at first but finally gave in. She was very surprised by the welcome she received.

Pansy's eyes lit up at the sight of Alexis entering the hospital wing.

"Oh thank Merlin it's you," she said taking Alexis by surprise. "I was afraid I'd have to leave Draco with Vincent or Gregory. You'll watch him while I write my father and tell him what happened? Thank you so much, Alexis!"

Alexis's was down right dumbstruck when Pansy hugged her before running off. Wasn't she supposed to think Alexis was trying to steal her boyfriend or were girls only like that in public? Either way, Alexis was confused and Draco could tell.

"What's wrong, Alexis?" he asked, lifting a pale eyebrow. His right arm was wrapped with clean bandages.

Alexis shook her head, still rather surprised. She took a seat at the end of Draco's bed, opening and closing her mouth as if she was about to speak but changing her mind last minute. Draco smirked, clearly amused by Alexis's bafflement.

"Well?" he asked once more. This time Alexis replied.

"So this morning Cho threatened me because she thought there was something going on between me and Cedric," started Alexis, "but then Pansy just leaves me alone with you like it was nothing. What did I miss?"

Draco smiled at Alexis, clearly seeing something she didn't.

"Pansy knows you and me are like brother and sister, Alexis," he stated nonchalantly.

"But so are me and Cedric!" shouted Alexis.

Draco merely smirked at her. It was easy to see he was going to be as much help as Hermione was when it came too her problem with Cho. So instead of trying to get him to explain why Cho was acting the way she was, Alexis instead kept Draco company while they waited for Pansy to return. When she finally did, it was during Draco and Alexis's third game of exploding snap.

"Thank you, Alexis," said Pansy. Alexis was surprised by how genuine she sounded.

"You're welcome, Pansy?" Alexis said more as a question then a statement. "You keep an eye on him, okay?"

"Don't worry," said Pansy, beaming. "I'll take care of him and father will too."

Alexis wasn't sure if she wanted to know what Pansy meant by that so she waved goodbye and left. She was heading towards the Great Hall for dinner when she quite literally ran into someone.

With a thump, Alexis landed on her bum. Towering over her was Remus Lupin, his hands grasping a pile of book he had just nearly spilt on the floor after their collision.

"Oh, my apologizes," said Remus, smiling warmly. "Shouldn't you be at dinner, Alexis?"

"I'm heading there now," said Alexis. She climbed to her feet, brushing off as she did. "I was in the hospital wing with Draco."

"The blonde Slytherin boy?" Remus asked. Alexis nodded her head. "Why is he in the infirmary?"

Alexis took some of the books out of Remus's hands and helped him carry them. As they made their way to his office, she told him what had happened during Care for Magical Creatures class. She had only just finished explaining everything to him when they arrived,

"No doubt you have a healthy fear of Hippogriffs now," chuckled Remus.

"Not really," said Alexis with a shrug. "I'm not allowed to be afraid of anything so I'm not."

Remus looked at her pleasantly surprised.

"Tell me, Alexis, do you know what a boggart is?" he asked, stacking the books on his desk.

"It's a creature that takes on the form of what it thinks would scare its victim the most," said Alexis.

Remus nodded his head approvingly.

"Do you want to face one?"

"When?" asked Alexis. She had always been curious what form her boggart would take seeing that she wasn't afraid of anything.

"Well, if you're free Thursday afternoon, your fellow classmates will be facing one I found in the teachers' lounge," said Remus. "Of course, I do hope you're not planning on telling them my lesson plan. It's meant to be a surprise."

Alexis nodded her head rapidly, clearly excited.

"I have Divination in the morning but it's my only class except Astrology and that's at midnight. I'd love to see a real boggart."

Remus smiled fondly.

"Excellent, well join us on Thursday then?"

Alexis nodded her head once more, heading towards the door.

"Yes Remus- I mean sir- I mean professor," she called running down the hall. She couldn't wait to tell Harry and them that she was going to be in another class with them this week.

.

After dinner, Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron made their way to the Common Room to do their homework. However, with Alexis and Ron still not on speaking terms and the uneasy feeling that Hagrid wasn't okay, the four Gryffindors found it increasingly hard to focus.

"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly.

Ron looked at his watch.

"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early..."

"I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Alexis saw her glance at Harry.

"He's allowed to walk across the grounds," Alexis said pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors yet, has he?"

So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out.

The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min."

Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.

"'Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."

"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione.

"Not yet," said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But's only a matter o' time, I'n't, after Parkinson..."

"Pansy?" said Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Alexis's mouth formed an O, finally understanding what Pansy had meant by her father taking care of Draco.

"Yeh," sniveled Hagrid. "Her father's a member of da school gov'nors, so da know. They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later...one flobberworms or summat...Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault..."

"It's all Pansy fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.

"She got scared," added Alexis. "She insulted it."

"We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."

"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.

Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Alexis and Harry and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.

"Ah, maybe she's right," said Hagrid, letting go of Alexis and Harry, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash.

"What's he done?" said Run nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.

"Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.

Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.

"That's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really -"

Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU THREE! LETTIN' HIM!"

Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door. Alexis, Hermione, and Ron hurried behind him.

"C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"

_'What?'_ was all Harry could think. Alexis didn't blame him.

"What indeed."

* * *

Another short, simple chapter but it's building up to the important stuff. Remember, Alexis and Ron haven't made up and Alexis is at a lost with why Cho feels so threatened by her.

Please, please, please tell me what you think Alexis's greatest freak is going to be. My sister and me have been arguing about it for a while now and I'm torn between two specific ideas.

**Luna the HP fan:** OMG I love you! Your idea is great and I just might use it but I can't make any promises. It would be a great way to turn the school against Alexis but Cho doesn't hate Alexis so it might be a tad too much. (I still absolutely love the idea though) As for what the slimy Slytherins are talking about you're probably right, probably ;P As for Trelawney's prediction, well, that could be discussed forever and a Tuesday but I promise you you'll be surprised by what it means. (Hint: all predictions in this story actually happen just usually not how you expect)

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami: **haha, yep, I'm not dead! thanks for the review and I'm glad I'm not the only anti-Cho. Now, with that said, I'm not exactly a Cho hater so you may get disappointed on a few occasions.

Remember, next chapter is the Boggart Chapter so I'm going to be working extra hard on it and hopefully I decide on which fear to use. (It will not be Dementors but it will be traumatizing to Alexis and unRidikulusable)

Please Review!

DCF


	9. Chapter 9

Before I post this I just got to say, phoenixfelicis07, I hope it was an amazing cookie!

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 9: True Fear

By Thursday, Alexis was getting very frustrated with Ron. She couldn't understand how he could still be stubbornly ignoring her when he had forgiven Hermione for their spat on the same day. It was annoying but just another thing Alexis was forced to blame on the mysterious 'puberty'.

So of course Alexis wasn't in the mood for Trelawney's nonsense.

"Pair up with your partner class," said Sybill Trelawney in her aurora filled voice. "We shall read each other's future by palms."

Alexis failed to hold her groan as the Weasley twins ditched her, leaving her once more with a Ravenclaw girl Alexis still only knew by her last name, Fawcett. Fawcett gave Alexis a dirty look, no doubt because she was friends with Cho, but Alexis ignored it. She wanted to get this over with so she could see what her boggart was.

"My child, what do you see?" asked Trelawney to Alexis. She always liked Alexis, mainly because she didn't know Alexis completely made up all her predictions.

"I see Fawcett doomed to fall in love with a Hufflepuff only to have their most sincere moment ruined by a jealous snake her sixth year," said Alexis as falsely mystifying as she could.

"She already made that prediction!" cried Fawcett.

"It's a strong prediction, and I also knew you were going to get angry," added Alexis, hiding her smirk poorly.

"Wonderful, Alexis," said Trelawney. "A strong prediction is sometimes told twice. Now Miss Fawcett."

With a loud huff, Fawcett opened up her textbook and started examining Guy's hand as if it were a piece of meat at the butcher's. After several attempts to make a prediction, Trelawney took over. She nearly dropped Alexis's hand in fright.

"You poor girl," whispered Trelawney. "So young, so full of life."

"What?" said Alexis. She seemed to be the only student, save the twins, that wasn't looking a Trelawney as if they were about to hear the most dreadful of news. "Is this about the snake that kills me? Is that this year?"

"No, sadly your life is longer but full of so much pain," said Trelawney, dramatically. "Your past will be revealed, as a rat is amongst your friends. Soon everything you know will change and death will fill its place!"

The class gasped. Alexis blinked.

"So you're not going to tell me how many kids I'm having when I'm older?"

Trelawney opened her mouth but Alexis stopped her.

"Don't you dare tell me," said Alexis. "I can deal with dying and a rat for a friend but if you tell me how many kids I'm having I'm dropping this class."

With that Trelawney closed her mouth tight. Everyone knew Alexis was her favorite student because she thought Alexis had the Inner Eye. It was complete nonsense but it was going to earn Alexis an easy OWL.

Finally class ended the students were dismissed. Alexis was hurrying to the Defense classroom but Fred and George were right on her heels.

"So who's the rat?" asked Fred.

"We know it's not Ronnie, prat as he may be," said George.

"And Hermione wouldn't dream of ratting a friend out," defended Fred.

"But what we really want to know is-"

"What secrets of your past they'll reveal?" they finished together.

Alexis rolled her eyes at the twins. She suddenly dropped off into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, leaving them befuddled in the hallway.

Smiling at Harry and waving to Draco, Alexis just barely took her seat in the back of the class before Remus Lupin entered the room. He was in shabby robes and carried a worn out briefcase but he was smiling kindly when he entered. Alexis hadn't noticed it before when she saw him in the hall the other day, but he looked a great deal healthier then he had on the train.

Placing his briefcase down, Remus smiled once more at his class.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. Alexis was already liking this new professor more and more. He seemed to know what he was doing and was into the hands on approach.

"Right then," said Remus, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

The class did as they were told and followed Remus out of the classroom and down a long corridor. Alexis quickly fell in stride next to Harry who looked equally as excited as Alexis about the lesson.

_'What do you think he'll make us do?' _thought Harry.

Alexis bit her lip to keep from smiling but Harry saw through it.

"He already told you, didn't he?" asked Harry aloud. "Not fair."

Before Alexis could laugh at her best friend a familiar crackle filled the air. It was Peeves and he was singing.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin -"

"Peeves!" snapped Alexis. "Really?"

Peeves blew raspberries at Remus which Remus responded with shooting a piece of gum up Peeve's nostril. The same piece a gum Peeves had just stuck in the key hole of a door. Peeves whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

Alexis sighed, shaking her head with a smirk while the rest of her classmates laughed and cheered.

"Cool, sir!"

"Wicked!"

"Thank you," said Remus Lupin. "Shall we proceed?"

They set off again, the class looking at Remus with increased respect. Even the Slytherins seemed somewhat impressed by Remus's quick wand work. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," said Remus, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Remus came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."

He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him.

At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Remus, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Alexis took a defensive step, along with Harry, in front of Neville, who had turned a bright shade of red. Snape caught sight of this and sneered but fortunately, Remus did too.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Neville looked twice as nervous as before but Snape's sneer turned into a cruel smile. Alexis couldn't help herself.

"Always lovely to see you smile, sir," said Alexis in a way that told everyone it was anything but lovely.

"That's a detention, McPherson," growled Snape.

Alexis bowed her head in fake politeness.

"Thank you, sir," said Alexis. "You bless me."

"Two detentions," snapped Snape.

"Careful, professor," said Alexis. "People might think I'm your favorite if you keep this up."

Something about what Alexis had said had really rubbed Snape the wrong way but before he could retaliate Remus had closed the door in his face, the faintest of smirks on Remus's lips. Without Snape being visible, half the class had fallen into giggles including some of the Slytherins. Harry, on the other hand, was shaking his head sadly at his best friend.

_'You would do that,' _he thought.

_'Couldn't help myself,' _Alexis sent back with a shrug.

The class moved to the end of the room where Remus stood by a large wardrobe in the corner. Suddenly the wardrobe gave a violent shake, banging off the walls next to it.

"Nothing to worry about," said Remus calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."

Alexis couldn't help but to grin as half the class, that being the half that knew what a Boggart was, looked even more worried.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," continued Remus. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice."

For a brief moment, Alexis's mind trailed off, trying to imagine what her headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, would see if he faced a Boggart. She wondered if he would have as much trouble thinking of what he was afraid of as she was or if he already knew his greatest fear.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?"

Hermione put up her hand.

_'Go figure,' _Alexis thought to herself, teasingly.

"It's a shape-shifter," Hermione said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Remus, and Hermione glowed.

_'Grangers going to have a big head if he keeps that up,'_ thought Draco, earning him a stink eye from Alexis. She couldn't stay mad at him, however, because Harry had a similar thought running through his head.

"So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."

_'I wonder if Mad-Eye has ever seen a Boggart's true form?' _Alexis thought.

_'Pay attention, Hex,'_ said McPherson but she heard him chuckling.

"This means," said Remus, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Harry gulped, looking towards Alexis for help. She gave him an encouraging smile. Gulping once more and trying to ignore Hermione who was bouncing on her heels to answer the question, Harry spoke.

"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," said Remus Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class, minus Alexis, together.

"Good," said Remus. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.

"Right, Neville," said Remus. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"I didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Remus cheerfully.

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed, including Neville himself. Remus was grinning, but had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Professor Snape... Doesn't he frighten us all?" he said with a chuckle, earning more laughter. "Now Neville, I understand you live with your grandmother. Am I correct?"

"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Remus, now smiling almost childishly. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville looked startled, but said, "Well...always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress...green, normally...and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" prompted Remus.

"A big red one," said Neville.

"Right then," said Remus Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next.

"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Remus. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry "Riddikulus" - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

There was a great shout of laughter. Alexis was so excited she was jumping up and down.

"Snape in a dress, Snape in a dress!" she whispered over and over. She caught Harry rolling his eyes at her, smiling softly at her excitement.

"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Remus. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..."

The room fell silent. Alexis immediately looked at Draco who nodded nervously at her. She mouthed, "turn it pink," making Draco smirk, before turning back to Harry. He looked confused before suddenly rather unsure about facing the Boggart but before Alexis could ask him what was wrong, Remus Lupin spoke.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. "Good. Now Neville, we're going to back away and let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot -"

No one seemed to hesitate to take a step back, leaving Neville pale and frightened in front of the wardrobe. Quivering his upper lip, Neville looked like he was about to cry but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Remus who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One - two - three - now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Remus Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R - r - _riddikulus_! " squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

Alexis had never laughed so hard in her life and she wasn't the only one laughing. In fact, it was the first time both the whole of the Gryffindor and Slytherin students were laughing together.

"Right, Pansy!"

Pansy walked forward rather proudly, though she was shaking slightly when she stood still. The Boggart Snape moved towards her, changing shape with a loud crack. In its place stood a great, big Hippogriff and it looked furious.

"_Riddikulus_!" Pansy shouted with a determined but shaky voice.

The Hippogriff went from being the size of a horse with an eagles face and a horses body to the size of a humming bird with a horses face too big for its bird body. Pansy grinned triumphantly.

"Seamus!" roared Remus.

Seamus darted past Pansy.

Crack!

Where the Hippogriff had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made Alexis cover her ears.

"_Riddikulus_!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!"

Ron leapt forward.

Crack!

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. Alexis watched as Ron took a deep breath and-

"_Riddikulus_!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished. It squirmed on its belly but couldn't move, merely flopped.

"Draco!" called Remus.

Draco moved forward, an emotionless mask slipping on his face.

Crack!

For a moment, Alexis thought she saw a grin light up Remus's face at the sight of Draco's Boggart. How anyone could grin at the sight of a eight foot werewolf with silver fur and piercing grey eyes was beyond her. Even Alexis was thinking twice of being in the room with the creature.

"_Riddikulus_!" howled Draco.

The great, and utterly terrifying werewolf was no more. In its place was a pink pup with a head too big for its tiny frame and kept falling over. Alexis had a feeling Draco had gotten that idea from Pansy.

The class was still laughing when Remus called Alexis's name.

"You next, Alexis!" called a triumphant Draco.

"Yeah, Hex's turn!"

Alexis smirked before stepping forward. She still didn't know what her Boggart would be. McPherson had raised her not to be afraid of anything, she wasn't even afraid of dying!

A loud crack filled the air and Alexis cocked her head to the side, confused.

"What?"

Standing in front of Alexis was herself only younger. Boggart Alexis looked about six or seven and was undoubtably very adorable if it wasn't for the grin that covered her face. It was sadistic, something Alexis expected to see on an insane person, not her younger self.

"I'm not afraid of myself," Alexis stated, blinking in confusion.

However, Alexis's confusion was quickly replaced with shock as her Boggart self transformed into another familiar shape. Many students gasped, having seen the form the Boggart had taken in the Daily Prophet only two years ago but Alexis merely stared.

"Tom?"

McPherson stood in front of Alexis, grinning his classic McPherson grin.

"Tom!"

Alexis took a step towards McPherson only for him to suddenly fall to the floor screaming a scream Alexis had only heard twice in her life.

"Help me!" cried McPherson. "Make the pain stop, please! Hex, Please!"

Alexis couldn't move. It was like she had been frozen in place by the same paralyzing spell McPherson had casted on her before he had been killed. She could only watch as her friend and guardian twitched and screamed on the floor in front of her. Her eyes widened as his form changed once more.

The black hair woman from the mirror her first year, her mother, laid in front of her screaming for mercy. But once more the figure changed and in its place was Hermione. Then Draco. Then Cedric. Then Ron. Finally, Harry laid in front of her, screaming a blood curling cry.

"Make it stop! Hex, make it stop!"

Panic was building up in Alexis. She didn't know what to do. McPherson was yelling at her, telling her it wasn't real, but she couldn't hear him. All Alexis could hear or see was Harry being tortured in front of her.

A hand fell on her shoulder and turned her away from the scene. Harry embraced her in a hug. He whispered into her ear, "I'm here, Hex. Don't listen to it. I'm here. We all are here."

A crackle came form behind the two friends, drawing their eyes.

"I'm not here, though," said the Boggart with McPherson's voice. "You let them kill me, remember? I died because of you!"

It gave another loud crackle, unlike anything Alexis had ever heard. Harry pushed her behind him.

"Don't listen to it, Hex," whispered Harry. "Don't let it scare you."

"I'm-"

But Alexis didn't need to finish. The boggart transformed into Harry's biggest fear- Dementor. Now it was Harry's turn to need defending but before Alexis could even move, Remus Lupin had pushed them behind him.

"Here!" shouted Remus.

Crack!

A silvery-white orb was hanging in the air in front of Remus, who said, "_Riddikulus_!" almost lazily.

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Remus as the Boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach.

Crack!

Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.

"_Riddikulus_!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the Boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

"Excellent!" cried Remus as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...five points to Gryffindor and Slytherin for every person to tackle the Boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice...and five each to Hermione and Harry for answering my questions.

"Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

The rest of the class hurried out of the staff room excitedly. If Alexis had been looking, she would have realized that a great deal of their eyes had lingered on her before whispering to their neighbor but Alexis was currently focused with staring at the floor. Both Draco and Harry stood at her side, unsure what to do.

"Alexis," said Remus softly. "Would you like some tea?"

Alexis only acknowledgement of her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was a faint head shake. He hurried out of the room with a nod of his own. She knew he felt horrible for what had happened and was trying to make up for it. Unfortunately, Alexis's mind was running so fast around her newly discovered fear that she was willing to bet she would have even said yes to tea with Snape at the moment.

"We have to go to class," whispered Harry.

"But we'll see you at dinner," added Draco and for once Alexis didn't feel like teasing them. In fact, she didn't feel like doing much of anything at the moment.

Draco and Harry disappeared out of the staff room just as Remus return holding a steaming cup. He handed it to Alexis, who had sat down in the floor in crisscross position, before slowly sitting down next to her.

"It's hot chocolate," Remus said as Alexis took a puny sip. "I thought it would be better choice then tea after what had happened."

Alexis whispered a thank you but said nothing else. She was at a lost of words, having never even dreamed this was how her day would have went.

"I'm sorry about-"

"It's not your fault, Remus," said Alexis. "I should have figured that would be my fear, it's not like I'm afraid of death."

She tried to laugh convincingly but she wasn't sure it worked. Remus was looking at her very kindly as if he had known her for years and seeing her this way truly was torture to him.

"There is nothing wrong with being afraid of seeing your friends get hurt," said Remus reassuringly. "In fact, it was the fear of one of my old friends back in schools too. Always had me or James face Boggarts without him, mind you, James's fear seemed to change with the wind. Twice I remember his greatest fear being a certain girl telling him no to a date."

Alexis laughed genuinely, making Remus smile. They sat there talking for a few more minutes, mainly about Remus's old friends James, Peter, and a boy Remus never mentioned by name, before standing up to leave.

"Thank for the hot chocolate, Remus," said Alexis. "And the talk. It helped."

"Anytime," said Remus with a smile. "But Alexis, I'm going to have to ask you to call me Professor Lupin. It's only proper."

Alexis smiled, nodding her head.

"Yes sir," she said, walking out the door. "Bye professor!"

Humming softly to herself, Alexis made her way back to the Gryffindor Tower. She felt a great deal better after talking to Remus and now only saw the Boggart incident as an uncomfortable memory.

Then Alexis froze.

The Boggart had changed into McPherson. Her classmates saw this. They heard him pleading for her help, accusing her of his death being her fault. Everyone knew now and strangely, Alexis's fear for Boggarts was nothing compared to her fear of people knowing the truth.

And they did know.

* * *

So quick pointers: I absolutely love using Trelawney in my story because she's such a newb and funny with her false dramaticness (this is not a real word).

The scene where Remus smirks at the sight of Draco's Boggart was something completely different at first. Originally Draco was going to be afraid of Greyback, the werewolf that tried to bite him when he was little, but Remus would have recognized him and freaked out, meaning the scene would have been laking humor so I just made it a werewolf instead.

The creepy, younger Alexis was my sister's idea. Originally, she wanted me to have Boggart Hex tell the real Hex that Black was her father OR have Boggart Hex standing by Voldemort which I thought was cool but wasn't traumatizing enough.

Another idea we had was the Boggart being Tom Riddle or the diary but Alexis was only afraid of those two things when she was being possessed and didn't know what to do.

In the end, I went with the idea I came up with when I was still writing the first book, fear of being powerless as her loved ones were tortured in front of her.

Special thanks to my reviewers!

**ThatOneGirlNoOneNotices**: Thank you! I hope Hex's fear was to the same standard as the last chapters

**Luna the HP fan**: I agree with your opinion on Marietta and Slytherins and am glad you like my Draco/Pansy scenes. I know Rowlings hated Pansy and most writers turn her into a down right slut but I always thought there had to be a reason Draco liked her in the first place. Anyway, you gotta tell me what your theory was on Hex's Boggart! It's killing me not knowing

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami**: thanks for the review and I hope this chapter is worth another one!

**Guest**: Thank you!

**Phoenixfelicis07**: Once more, your review has baffled me with how close you follow the story. I loved all your Boggart theories and was very surprised, pleasantly of course, by how close you were to guessing (or hypothesizing if you want to get all fancy) what it was. I'm very glad to know you liked how I dealt with the Buckbeak scene and would love to know your feelings on the Boggart scene.

Once more, thanks for the reviews and please don't hesitate to review and tell me what you think about Alexis's Boggart!

Review!

DCF


	10. Chapter 10

Once more, I took longer then I should have on this chapter...

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 10: Filling in the Pages

Rumors of what had happened with Alexis's Boggart spread through Hogwarts like wild fire. Only the Slytherins didn't seem to have wild and crazy stories to why the Ministry's past Number one Unmentionable, Tomas McPherson, who had committed a crime so great it had never released to the public (though rumors of what he had done were spreading too), had been Alexis's Boggart. All the rumors didn't bother Alexis as much as she thought they would but the lack of rumors from the Slytherins made her very suspicious. The conversation she had listened in on during Charms hadn't helped and neither had the fact that Marcus Flint, a seventh year Slytherin, had been giving her strange looks but Alexis thought that might have more to do with Quidditch. After all, Flint was the Slytherin Quidditch team Captain while Alexis was a Chaser on the Gryffindor team.

So when Flint confronted her in the corridor on her way to dinner, Alexis hadn't been prepared for a conversation.

"Hello, Hex," said Flint, causing Alexis to nearly get whiplash from how fast she had turned around. "Did I scare you?"

"What do you want, Flint?" Alexis sneered. It had been a very stressful week thanks to all the rumors spreading about her and the last thing she wanted to do was deal with someone like Flint. "Going to ask me to take it easy on you next Quidditch match?"

If Alexis was trying to piss him off, she had succeeded.

"What's your real name, Hex?" growled Flint.

Alexis froze in her place.

"Alexis McPherson," she breathed.

"Really?" Flint snorted, "I think you're lying. See, my father works with this fellow, Lestrange, Octanius Lestrange. Father said you told him you were adopted."

"So? what if I am?"

"Nothing really. The McPherson's are a respectable Pureblood Family, and are very unlikely to adopt anyone with tainted blood. They're only flaw is that black sheep marrying the mad ex-Auror's sister. The irony that their spawn would go dark..."

"What are you getting at, Flint?" Alexis barked. She had become all to aware that it was just her and Flint in the corridor. Everyone else must have already made it to dinner.

"What are your adopted parents name?"

Alexis didn't answer. Flint grinned.

"As stupid as you Gryffindorks think I am, I'm not an idiot, Hex. I can put two and two together. If that crazy, scarface man is your 'uncle' then it's quite simple who raised you."

Grinning wickedly, the seventh year Slytherin took a step towards Alexis, who was already backed against the wall. Neither of them were expecting what happened next.

"Get away from her, you big ogre."

At the end of the corridor, with his wand already in his hand and pointing at Flint, was Ron Weasley. Even more surprising was who was standing to his left.

"Since when do you work with blood traitors, Draco?" sneered Flint. "Or is this a one time deal?"

"Yes, Marcus, a one time deal, just like your mother and that Mug-"

"Don't speak as if I'm beneath you!" shouted Flint.

Draco shouted right back, "You are beneath me- beneath all of us! Especially Alexis and even Weasel. Now go."

With a death glare just below Basilisk worthy, Marcus Flint stalked away.

"You've got it from here, Weasel," growled Draco, once Flint had disappeared towards the dungeons. "You better hope she forgives you."

Nodding politely to Alexis, Draco made his own departure, leaving Alexis and Ron alone in the corridor. There was a long pause before either could speak.

"Did you and Draco just-"

"Yeah," said Ron, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "We were sorta talking about you a little bit ago."

"Oh?" said Alexis coldly. She still was hurt from how Ron had been treating her since school started. "What about?"

Ron looked at Alexis strangely. It was as if he was trying to say something without words which Alexis realized was exactly what he was trying to do. Slowly, she pushed into his thoughts.

_'You know what we were talking about,'_ Ron thought loudly. Alexis giggled.

"You don't have to yell," she teased, earning a sheepish grin and a blush from Ron.

"Sorry."

There was another pause but this one was broken by the two Gryffindors hugging each other.

"I'm sorry," said Ron. "I shouldn't have acted that way."

"No, I'm sorry," said Alexis. "I should have told you sooner. You must have felt rather betrayed when I told you-"

"No Hex, it's not your fault," said Ron, cutting Alexis off. "I was pig headed. You're my friend and like Harry and Hermione, you're my best friend. I promise I won't abandon you ever again. I'm really, really sorry."

_'Hex,' _sang McPherson.

Alexis groaned.

"Don't you dare say it," she snapped confusing Ron for a moment.

"McPherson?" he asked.

"Yep," said Alexis, exaggerating the letter p. "He told me you'd come around. I didn't really believe him."

Alexis added the last part with a shameful head bow, however, Ron only laughed.

"I never thought I'd have a friend as weird as you," he teased.

Alexis stuck her tongue out at him and Ron swatted at her arm which Alexis returned playfully. The two walked to the Great Hall for dinner as if the past two weeks had never happened.

.

It was almost a month since Alexis and Ron had made-up. Alexis and Ron's friendship seemed to have blossomed because of it much to Alexis's delight. The two were almost as close as Alexis and Harry. Unfortunately, not everything was going so well for Alexis. Quidditch practice had started up again and Alexis felt for the first time the undeniable pressure to win.

Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. He was the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and in Harry's opinion, the only human being ever to be as equally excited as Alexis when it came to Quidditch. In fact, in some cases, he even seemed to surpass her enthusiasm.

On the first practice of the season, Alexis and Harry joined the rest of their teammates in the locker room, watching carefully as the nervous but determined Oliver Wood paced in front of them.

"This is our last chance - my last chance - to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it."

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world - injuries - then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. Alexis shifted nervously, remembering it had been technically her fault the tournament had been called off. "But we also know we've got the best - ruddy - team - in - the - school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."

Wood pointed at Alexis, Alicia Spinner, and Angelina Johnson.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George together, pretending to blush.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.

"Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.

"The best," added Alexis, making Wood grin proudly.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag - not to mention last year, with Hex up there with the Quaffle. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

The look on Wood's face made Alexis fill up with guilt.

"Don't worry, Ollie Boy," said Alexis. "We're going to win this year."

"Yeah, Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.

"Definitely," said Harry.

Quidditch, however, was not what had gotten Alexis into her discombobulated state. That had been because of her detention with Snape. Only two days before Halloween, and the first Hogsmead trip, Snape told Alexis she would be serving detention with him that evening. Dreading the idea of cleaning cauldrons all evening, Alexis made her way to the dungeons slowly. When she arrived, however, she was surprised to discover only one cauldron waiting for her.

"You will be assisting me in preparing a potion," said Snape.

Alexis couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow at him. She decided to pull a Mad-Eye.

"What was the first thing you said to me?" she asked slowly. Snape scowled at her.

"Don't test me McPherson," he growled at her.

"Sorry, sir," said Alexis, nonetheless rolling up her sleeves to begin preparing the potion. "But asking for my assistance in potion, or anything for that matter, is very out of character of you... sir."

"That's a point from Gryffindor for your lip."

_'Yep, it's still Snape,' _Alexis thought to herself. McPherson laughed at her and for a brief moment Alexis thought she saw Snape's lip twitch, though in a smile or a scowl she didn't know (or care).

"What potion are we making sir?" she asked, finally approaching the already lit cauldron.

"You're in sixth year potion, Miss McPherson. Use your brain, if you have one of your own, and tell me."

Alexis fought back a scowl (and a few choice words) aimed towards Snape before examining the ingredients laid out before her. There was a great deal of them but one particular told her all she needed to know- wolfsbane.

They were going to make a Wolfsbane Potion, an innovative and complex potion that relieves, but does not cure, the symptoms of lycanthropy. It was extremely dangerous if made incorrectly, seeing that it's main ingredient was aconite (another name for wolfsbane and monkshood) and it's a very poisonous substance, and needed at least two people to make it. That didn't bother Alexis, what bothered her was the fact that the Wolfsbane Potion was only used by werewolves, seeing that it was fatal to pure humans.

"Are you a werewolf, Sna- professor?" asked Alexis. Snape scowled once more at the amount of excitement in Alexis's voice.

"Another point, McPherson," he sneered.

_'He looks more like a vampire to me,' _whispered McPherson.

Alexis turned away from Snape and pretended to be reorganizing the ingredients so he wouldn't see her smiling. They worked for the next three hours in complete, utter(and in Alexis, awkward), silence. When the potion turned a faint blue and smoked, Snape made a grunting noise before telling Alexis they were done.

"That will be all McPherson," he said sharply, expecting her to leave. Alexis, however, did not move. "Well? What are you waiting for? You're supposed to be in you Common Room in five minutes."

Alexis shrugged her shoulders.

'_As if being caught out of the Common Room after hours would be a new thing,' _she thought to herself.

_'Being caught would be, Hex,'_ corrected McPherson.

Somehow Alexis avoided her need to roll her eyes at McPherson's words before speaking to Snape.

"Why did we make a full batch of Wolfsbane, sir?" she asked as nicely as she possible could.

"The Headmaster asked me to," Snape state simply before kicking Alexis out of his classroom. She ran to the Gryffindor Tower, her mind racing as she did.

Wolfsbane was a very expensive ingredient so Alexis knew she and Snape had not been wasting their time making it. That meant it was going to be used. The question was, by whom? Dumbledore had asked Snape to make it but no matter how much suspicion that brought to him, Alexis found it very difficult to believe that Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century, was a werewolf. That meant it was someone Dumbledore knew.

"I need to find a book on lycanthropy," Alexis muttered aloud, slightly out of breath as she reached the seventh floor. "Someone here is a werewolf, and I'm going to find out who."

The grin on Alexis's face as she entered the Common Room seemed out of place for someone who had just returned from a detention with Snape but Alexis didn't care. She had a werewolf to discover.

* * *

So not the greatest makeup scene but I never did like people getting back together :P I wished I wasn't so jumpy this chapter but I had a lot to get into it at once so sorry guys. Again, I apologize for making you wait for this nonsense but I hope the next chapter makes up for it. School starts tomorrow so that's why I've been so busy and probably still will be until November.

Anyway, for each of my lovely reviewers...

**Emily Is Me:** Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed the chapters you were catching up on

**Phoenixfelicis07:** Firstly- I'm glad you like Trelawney's prediction.

Secondly- Alexis hadn't had Remus teach her DADA class yet. She has him on Friday that was Thursday.

Thirdly: You have no idea how much I love making those parallels! I see Hex as the What-if-Sirius-had-been-a-girl when I write about her. I like having her be a smartass while still being a loyal to the point of vengeful best friend. I promise you, even if Sirius isn't Hex's father, not that I'm saying he is or isn't, you're going to see their similarities (Remus sure as hell will)

As for the Boggart, I'm glad you agree it was traumatizing. As for the creepy younger Hex, that was more out of a request from my sister. One of our other choices for Hex's Boggart was a younger Hex going insane with blood on her hands (it was more detailed then that but not as good so we didn't use it).

So, Thanks for the Review!

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami:** I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I'm sorry if this one didn't reach it's standard. I shall make up for it in the next chapter!

**Luna the HP fan:** I'm glad you knew what the Boggart was going to be! Yes, the Molly scene in OotP helped me a little in making it but like you said death wasn't something Alexis feared (seeing a friend die yes, but seeing them dead isn't as traumatizing) so I twisted a little of her dream from her first year in there.

As for the Snape scene, I'm happy to know you found it as funny as I did and don't worry, Trelawney will be back with her ever so 'helpful' predictions

Now the hard part... My Boggart

It took a really, really, really long time to figure this one out. I thought dying of old age, drowning, watching my love ones die/get tortured, and being alone before finally deciding it was the Dark. Funny, I know, but I don't mean like in your room at night dark or even in a cave where no light can reach you, I mean the darkness that is deafening, the kind were you can't hear anything but your own heartbeat. The kind of darkness were you could walk aimlessly for miles and never reach a wall to lean against. So, my Boggart can't exactly take that shape but I'm absolutely terrified of complete darkness in a very open if not endless room where I can't hear anything but my heartbeat. Just the idea of it freaks me out but because I don't think Boggarts could take that shape it would have to be watching love ones die/get tortured

Anyway... Now that I've announced my true fear to the internet, I'm gonna ask you lovelies for some reviews!

DCF


	11. Chapter 11

As to be expected with all scenes with Hex and or Moody, there shall be one curse word

you have been warned...

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 11: Blackest Grim

Despite Harry being unable to go with her, Alexis felt an unexplainable amount of excitement about going to Hogsmeade. She also felt extremely guilty because of this.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay here with you, Prongs?" she asked Harry for the third time. "Tails and Moony are going to be sight seeing together and I'm just going with the twins. Draco is going with Pansy-"

"You're rambling, Padfoot," Harry laughed but only half heartedly. "Go. I'll be fine until you three get back, okay Hex?"

Alexis nodded before hugging her best friend. Then she ran off and joined Fred and George who were waiting for her at the front door of the castle where McGonagall was taking up permission slips.

"Ready, milady?" grinned George, bowing dramatically as Fred sarcastically kissed Alexis's hand. McGonagall's snort in amusement did not go unnoticed but the twins knew better then to instigate the Head of the Gryffindor House.

"Onward my brave knights!" Alexis ordered, playing along. She waved one last time to Harry, a pang of guilt hitting her for leaving him behind, before heading off for Hogsmeade with the twins.

But despite trying her best, Alexis soon found herself having too much fun at Hogsmeade to feel guilty that Harry wasn't there. Fred and George took her to every shop available.

The trio first stopped at Honeydukes, the legendary sweet shop Ron had talked about on the train ride. They quite literally had every sweet known to wizard or man and Alexis was rather glad she had good self control or else she would of bought the stores stock of Every Flavor Beans. Next, Fred and George led Alexis to Spintwitches, a store very similar to Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley, where Alexis found a great deal of Christmas gift ideas. After that, they went to Dervish & Banges, a helpful shop that sells and repairs some magical instruments, Gladrags Wizardwear, (though Fred and George only show Alexis that store so she could see the charmed socks that screamed when they got too smelly), and Dominic Maestro's, a music shop. The twins pointed out the Herbology shop, Dogweeds and Deathcap, and J. Pippin's Potions while leading the awestruck Alexis to Zonko's Joke Shop, completely avoiding Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop on the account only 'lovey dovey' couples went there.

It wasn't until it was nearly noon that Alexis said goodbye to Fred and George, who were both slightly distracted by a teacup that had decided to bite Marcus Flint's nose, before heading out on her own through Hogsmeade. She passed Potage's Cauldron Shop and Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop uninterested in what they had to sell and only briefly paused in amusement outside of Ollivanders Wand Shop if only to see the reaction of her fellow classmates who had taken to gawking at her.

_'Why are they staring at me?'_ Alexis thought as she continued to trudged down the road.

_'Its not everyday people see you by yourself, Hex,'_ said McPherson plainly. 'Outside of school anyways.'

"It's not my fault Harry couldn't come," Alexis grumbled quietly.

_'Nobody said anything about Harry,'_ teased McPherson. Alexis was about to snap back at him but something caught her eye.

Mounted on top of a hill several paces in front of her was a tall, creaking, two story... shack. All of its doors and windows were bordered up. It was swaying softly in the wind, and to Alexis, it looked like it had seen far more then its fair share of hard times.

"Wow," Alexis whispered, taking in what she was seeing in small quantities. "What is that place?"

_'The Shrieking Shack,' _answered McPherson_. 'Its the most haunted house in all of Britain.'_

"Really?"

The amount of excitement in Alexis's voice was unmissable. Thankfully, however, before McPherson could yell how much of a bad idea it was for Alexis to go exploring, as he had said, _'the most haunted house in all of Britain_', someone grabbed Alexis's arm.

"Don't even think about it, Hex," said Cedric, pulling Alexis away from the fence she was about to tower.

"But Cedric-"

"No buts," said Cedric. "I can't believe the twins left you alone to your own devices."

He was still grumbling as he dragged Alexis back towards the main part of Hogsmeade. Standing outside of Madam Puddifoot's, which Alexis realized had a great view of where she had been standing near the fence, was a dejected Cho Chang. Evidently, Cedric and her had been on a date when he had ran out to stop her from climbing the fence to the Shrieking Shack.

"Sorry," Cedric said to Cho once they reached her. "I couldn't let her climb in there. Merlin knows what sort of trouble Hex would have gotten into."

"Yes," said Cho coldly, "wouldn't want the _little_ girl to get hurt."

Alexis didn't miss Cho's emphasis on the little in her words and neither did Cedric but he assumed it had more to do with him running off on Cho in the middle of their date.

"Come on Cedric," said Cho, "our tea is getting cold."

"Right," said Cedric. He turned to Alexis. "Do you want to come-"

"NO!"

Cedric blinked in surprise at Alexis and his girlfriend's unanimous reply.

"I mean," said Cho awkwardly. "I'm sure Hex has other friends she wants to hang out with. Right Hex."

The fact that Cho hadn't asked but ordered Alexis to say yes bothered her but Alexis ignored it. Mainly because she didn't want to have to deal with Cho either.

"Right," lied Alexis. "I'm actually heading back to the castle seeing that I can't explore the Shrieking Shack. Bye Ced!"

Running off before Cedric could protest, Alexis hurried through the streets. She had just passed Hog's Head when the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Alexis knew she was being followed. She picked up the pace, trying to lose her stalker but something told her they were right on her heels. Then, as she turned into an alleyway, Alexis felt a tug on her pants leg. She looked down and let out a laugh in relief.

"What a cute dog."

Once again, Alexis was alone in her opinion on what the animal before her looked like. This dog was far from cute. It was black as night, it's hair matted and tangled. The poor thing was barely standing with how skinny it was but was nonetheless massive.

When it's unnaturally dark eyes met Alexis's, she felt almost an instant connection to the animal and fell to her knees to scratch the poor creatures ears.

"Are you hungry boy?" said Alexis and almost instantly the dog barked and licked her face affectionately. "Alright boy, I'll get you some bread and water if you stay here."

Alexis pushed her way into the Three Broomsticks and bought a butterbeer, a water, and three loaves of bread. The latter of these three earned her a raised eyebrow from Madam Rosmerta, the tavern owner, but Alexis ignored it and asked for a bowl as well.

After paying for the few items, Alexis returned to the dog, which had surprisingly not moved even an inch from where she had told it to stay.

"Here you go boy," said Alexis as she tossed the loaves at the dog's feet. They were almost immediately swallowed whole. "Jeez, you are a hungry fellow. Here have some water."

Alexis placed her butterbeer down as she pulled the small bowl out of her jacket but the dog charged at the butterbeer. He began to lap it up so quickly that Alexis found it too comical to stop him. When he had finished, he drank the water from the bowl a great deal slower then the butterbeer from the cup.

"Well, now that you've had your fill," Alexis teased, "why don't you tell me about yourself."

The dog said nothing.

_'How surprising,' _chuckled McPherson.

"Shut up," growled Alexis, earning her a head tilt from the dog. "Not you! I was talking to Tom."

Once more the dog tilted its head but Alexis ignored its confusion.

"Well I'm Alexis," Alexis said sliding down into the snow. The dog laid across her lap and nudged its head into her neck. "I'm a Gryffindor, third year. My best friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione that is, are Gryffindor too. Cedric, he's over at the Madame Puddifoot's with his girlfriend Cho. Fred and George, their twins, well, I'm not sure what their doing. Scary really, not knowing what they're up to..."

It was surprising how responsive the dog was to her one sided conversation. His ears perked up at every mentioning of Harry's name and, much to Alexis's amusement, he showed his teeth at the mention of Professor Snape.

Suddenly an idea popped in Alexis's head and a devilish grin crossed her face.

"I'm going to keep you and bring you to Hogwarts," she said gleefully. "I could bring you food in between classes. Plus, Harry always said he wanted a dog. I could share him with you."

The dog seemed to like this idea a great deal but was very reluctant in allowing Alexis to stop scratching behind his right ear. When he finally did, the two made their way to the castle and if Alexis didn't know any better she would say the dog was leading the way.

"Lunch is just ending now," Alexis said aloud as Hogwarts came into view. She had been quite surprised by the lack of Dementors on the path and had the eeriest of feelings that it had something to do with her new dog.

Halfway to the front doors of the castle Alexis spotted Snape and groaned. He looked like he was looking for someone and knowing Alexis's luck it was her. She still had a detention to serve with him after all and it would be very like Snape to demand she serve it over the weekend.

"He'll never let me bring you inside either," she grumbled to the dog, not expecting a response. To her surprise, she was given one.

Tugging on her pant leg, the dog ran off expecting Alexis to follow, which she did of course. Finally, the dog came to a stop right outside the boat house. Alexis couldn't help but to grin at him widely.

"Wow, you're smart!" she exclaimed, scratching the dog's ears. "And I can sneak straight into the castle from here!"

After locking herself and the dog inside the boathouse, Alexis just barely remembered to tell her new dog goodbye and that she would bring him food after the Halloween Feast before hurrying through the portrait of Percival Pratt at the bottom of the grand staircase. She was so excited about telling Harry about her new pet she didn't pay any attention to where she was going...

A shame really.

With a few choice words that made her hope she hadn't ran into Dumbledore or McGonagall, Alexis fell on her bum with a loud thump. She looked up to see what, or in this case who, she had ran into and cursed once more.

Carter Swine, Cornelius Fudge's right hand man, was towering over her, his wand already drawn thanks to her surprising him. He wore his hair in its usual ponytail and his grey eyes were glued on Alexis with a menacing.

"Watch you're mouth, girl," Swine snapped rudely.

"Fuck off," Alexis hissed standing up. She heard a harsh snort and caught sight of two other men standing behind Swine. The one on his right was Mad-Eye Moody and on his left was a tall black man Alexis swore she had seen over the summer.

"I see she's picked up on your vocabulary, Alastor," said the third man, smirking ever so slightly.

Moody only replied with another snort.

"What are you doing in the castle, lass?" growled Moody.

Alexis subconsciously shrugged earning her a Moody glare.

"I got bored," she replied simply. "What are _you_ doing in the castle?"

"None of your business," snapped Swine.

"Now Carter," said the third man. "It was just a question." He turned towards Alexis. "The name is Kingsley Shacklebolt."

He stuck out his hand for Alexis to shake. Hesitantly, she did just that.

"Alexis," Alexis replied slowly. "So, why are you three here?"

"Extra security," said Kingsley. "With the students at Hogsmeade we had to pull back on the Dementors for today."

"Wow," said Alexis, speaking her thought aloud, "so today would be the perfect day to sneak into Hogwarts..."

"And what makes you say that?" sneered Swine.

"Well, Sirius Black did kill twelve people with one spell," stated Alexis before she realized what she was saying. "You, unlike the Dementors, are people. And if he really is Voldemort's right hand man, you three aren't very much..."

Finally what Alexis was saying out loud hit her. Thankfully, however, before Swine, or Moody for that matter, could reprimand her, a familiar voice filled the air.

"Hex!"

Alexis nearly fell over again when Harry ran into her. He, however, quickly steadied her before pulling her towards the stairs.

"Come on!" Harry shouted, purposely ignoring the three Ministry workers staring at him. "Professor Lupin has a Grindylow!"

Without leaving a second to protest, Alexis let Harry drag her away, up the stairs. They were halfway to the Defense classroom when Harry spoke.

"You really need to stop inserting your foot in your mouth, Padfoot," he said, shaking his head.

Alexis sighed loudly before shrugging. She couldn't agree more.

"Yeah... So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

.

"And you let him drink it?" cried Hermione and Ron together, looking mortified.

Harry nodded his head weakly. Once Hermione and Ron had returned from Hogsmeade, he had told them the same thing he had told Alexis. Remus Lupin had invited him to tea while they were away when Snape came in carrying a suspicious smoking goblet. Hermione and Ron had been horrified to discover Harry had allowed Remus to drink the concoction when it was a well known fact that Snape had been after Remus's job as the Defense Against the Dark Arts for years.

Alexis, however, was more interested in why Remus had drunk the potion and thanks to Harry describing the potions properties, she knew the answer to that question too.

_'So Remus is a werewolf?' _she thought._ 'Cool.'_

McPherson chuckled at her as she and her friends, who were still reprimanding Harry for allowing Remus to drink the potion, descended the stairs to the Great Hall. The Halloween Feast had already begun and the four of them were running late.

"Shoot," cried Hermione. "I left my essay for Transfiguration in the Common Room!"

"But the essay's not due until Thursday," said Ron.

"Professor McGonagall said I could turn it in early," said Hermione as if it was normal to turn in a homework assignment five days early. "I'm trying to stay ahead, you know."

Before Ron could say anything, Alexis spoke up.

"I'll go get it, Moony."

"Do you want me to come with you, Padfoot?" asked Harry.

Alexis shook her head, already heading back up the stairs.

"Nah, I got it, Prongs. Do save me some potatoes, okay Tails?"

With a chorus of goodbyes following her, Alexis hurried on her way back towards the Gryffindor Tower. She had no doubts that it would be deserted seeing that it had been when she and the gang had left so she was surprised when she heard a cry coming from the seventh floor corridor. Like any true Gryffindor, Alexis picked up the pace and headed towards outside the Gryffindor Tower where the noise had come from.

She had expected to see a first year being picked on or even Neville trapped between the portrait again. Never had it crossed her mind that she would see what she did which maybe why she froze in place at the sight.

Standing in front of Alexis, a look of madness and rage on his face and his hand bleeding from the damage he had done to the Fat Lady's portrait, was Sirius Black, but that wasn't the worse part.

He was staring right at her.

* * *

I do hope we enjoyed the dramatic chapter end (it sounded so much better in my head) Sorry for the delay lovelies I got a concussion on Thursday, what fun! Anyway, if the chapter is fuzzy and jumpy a bit I'm blaming it on that. Hope you all enjoyed it and can see how Alexis Lestrange is slowly changing the HP story we all know and love (I promise at least one very dramatic change near the end of this story which I'd love to hear you all guess on)

**ThatOneGirlNoOneNotices**: Thanks for the review though now I'm very interested in figuring out what that Boggart would look like. As for the vanishing cabinet question your guess is as good as mine!

**mercenary2.0**: I promise I'm trying to update at least once a week if not more. School, XC, PT, and my family takes a lot of my free time unfortunately

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami**: Arachibutyrophobia is my new favorite word. Thank you!

And finally, the lovely **Phoenixfelicis07**: Don't worry about Ron getting jealous of Harry. He knows (or assumes like everyone else) that Harry is number one to Hex. Even Draco knows that (or assumes. Not gonna say which one is right). As for the Ron/Draco truce I'll explain it later on. Now, Hex's detention... Well, as you remember in the first book, after a certain curious first year girl messes around in the potion classroom she ends up being in Fourth year potions. Perhaps Snape actually thinks Alexis is good at potions, perhaps he is only harsh on her in class so that she'll improve her skills, perhaps secretly Snape cares about Alexis and wants to warn her about the dangerous creature teaching her... Or perhaps Snape is a dick and wants to hurt Alexis by revealing to her that her favorite teacher is a werewolf. You never know with that guy... :D

Once more thanks for the reviews! I love them all and enjoy reading them so send more!

REVIEW!

DCF


	12. Chapter 12

I'm back!

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 12: Hints to No End

For a moment, Alexis thought that perhaps Sirius Black had cast a spell on her making her immobile but his wand was still in his sleeve- for now. Yet, try as she might, Alexis felt glued in place as two great black eyes stared at her as if they were looking into her very soul. He studied her hair, her eyes, and her robes, his eyes lingering on her Gryffindor badge for an eternaty... and then the last thing Alexis ever expected to happen, happened.

Sirius Black started laughing a loud crackle that sounded like it belonged to someone who truly was insane and as far as Alexis could tell he was just that.

"Oh Trix!" Sirius Black cried out loudly. "You in Gryffindor robes, Gryffindor! If the Lestranges could see you!"

The insane convict seemed blissfully unaware of how loud he was laughing. Instead, he held his side panting for air as Alexis finally broke from her stupor.

"PEEVES!" Alexis bellowed as loud as she possibly could. Her cry stopped the madman's crackle immediately.

"Sorry," he whispered in a raspy voice. Before Alexis could think to move, Sirius Black had his wand trained on her.

"_Stupefy_!"

With a thump, Alexis fell unconscious against the wall. For a brief second, she thought she felt her new dog nudge her head before slipping completely unconscious.

.

When Alexis finally came to, it was to the sound of an abnormally loud raspberry and sharp cursing.

"Bloody ghost," growled the voice of Swine.

"Why so winey, Swiney?" laughed Peeves. "Has Peevesie Weesie hurt your Ickle feelings?"

"I will exercise you, damn it."

More raspberries filled the air along with a few choice words when Alexis, who had chosen to keep her eyes closed, heard the voice of a familiar grumpy old man.

"Will you two quit being bloody fools?" snapped Mad-Eye Moody. "Open your eyes lass, we know you're awake."

"Big ray of sunshine, isn't he?" Alexis grumbled mainly to the laughing man in her head. She opened her eyes to reveal Peeves, Swine, Moody, and Lucius Malfoy as well as the familiar walls of the hospital wing. The sun was just barely shining through the grey storm clouds and windows (seeing that the windows faced the east) telling her it was the morning.

"Hex!" Peeves practically squealed, zooming over in a blur to his little, living friend.

"Hey, Peeves," laughed Alexis, hugging the almost fully transparent boy. "What did I miss?"

"Black," stated Swine coldly.

Alexis ignored him and turning to Moody. "I was hoping to see Kingsley instead of that- never mind. Good morning, Lucius."

Lucius Malfoy looked exactly how Alexis thought Draco would in twenty years time. He was the role model to what a sophisticated Pureblood was supposed to look like from his fine robes to his aristocratic aura. Lucius, however, seemed slightly, and only ever so slightly that Alexis doubted anyone besides herself had noticed, nervous around Alexis no doubt remembering their last encounter. She had covered for him after the diary he had given her had possessed and nearly killed her.

"Good morning, Miss Alexis," Lucius replied, his nerves easing considerably.

Alexis smiled at him before giving Moody a questionable look.

"Where exactly is Kingsley?" she asked. Alexis really did like the newest Ministry worker she had met. Suddenly, it occurred to Alexis that she hadn't hated any of the Ministry workers she had met since Lucius, and she classified him as an honorary uncle as she did Moody- though Lucius wasn't nearly as, well, moody. In fact, Lucius was very good at holding up an emotionless mask, much like his son, that only those who knew him well could see through. Alexis liked to say she was one of the few who could.

"Discussing what had happened with Dumbledore," replied Lucius blankly. "I myself am only here to check on Draco's arm."

Alexis nodded understandably. Ever since Draco had his arm torn up by Buckbeak, the Slytherins had been down right forcing him to baby it. They had even gone as far as to have the first Quidditch match of the season changed to Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Draco had tried to protest but he didn't have much grounds seeing that Flint was the Slytherin team captain and saw that Draco owed him after their little fall out. That, and Draco wasn't exactly looking forward to playing in the storm that was brewing towards that weekend either.

"Now," grumbled Moody, returning the conversation to its original topic. "Mind telling us what happened?"

"Well, I was on my way to Narnia," Alexis teased but stopped immediately when she realized only Swine, surprisingly enough, knew she was doing just that- teasing. "Right, I was heading up to the Common Room because one of my friends left her assignment when I heard a cry. I ran towards it," -Alexis ignored Moody's disapproving look- "and nearly ran right into Sirius Black."

"And then?" asked Swine, for once malice not lining his words.

"He started laughing," _at my Gryffindor badge_, Alexis added to herself. "I think... I think Sirius Black was on the Knight's Bus with me and Harry."

Both Lucius and Swine lifted an eyebrow while Moody cocked his head at Alexis.

"And why is that?" asked Swine.

"He called me Trix," replied Alexis. "And I only ever used that name when I was on the Knight Bus. That, and he mentioned the Lestranges."

Alexis did not miss the glances shared between the three men in front of her, nor did she fail to notice Peeves grip tighten around her protectively, but before she could question it Madame Pomfrey shooed her three interrogators and Peeves out of the room.

"Once you drink this you'll be able to leave," said Madame Pomfrey after closing the hospital doors behind Moody who had been the last to leave. She handed Alexis a headache potion that smelt as bad as it tasted. "Though, if you're tired you may stay a little longer."

"And worry Oliver senseless?" said Alexis. She couldn't help but to picture her Quidditch team captain panicking when he discovered one of his star players bedridden the week of their first match. Easily, the idea made her laugh as she walked slowly to the Great Hall.

As she passed the Defense classroom, Alexis caught a glimpse of Remus Lupin. She debated for a moment on if now would be a good time to confront him on his 'illness' but decided against it. After all, last night had been a full moon.

"Hex!"

Two pairs of arms wrapped around Alexis nearly sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Hey guys," laughed Alexis as she steadied herself from Harry and Ron's surprise hug.

"I thought he hurt you," Harry whispered. Unlike Ron, he had yet to let go of Alexis. Not that Alexis protested to this. Ever since she had awoken, all she could think of was what might have happened if Sirius Black had found her best friend.

"I'm fine, Prongs," Alexis assured him before he finally loosened his hug.

'What happened?' she thought to both Harry and Ron.

Ron curled his face up in a way that showed him in deep concentration. It looked down right ridiculous to Alexis and Harry but neither said anything.

_'Sirius Black attacked the Fat Lady trying to get into the Tower,' _he thought loudly again._ 'But you knew that already, seeing that he got you.'_

Harry, though surprised he could hear Ron's thoughts as well thanks to Alexis thinking them as he said them, continued on:

_'They made us all stay in the Great Hall while the professors and these Ministry men searched the grounds. The one with the ponytail came running down the stairs with you in his arms.'_

"What?" Alexis said genuinely surprised to hear Swine had helped her.

"We thought you were dead," Ron said aloud. "Prongs had to be restrained by Dumbledore to keep from running after you."

Alexis looked at Harry who nodded his head, wordlessly giving Alexis permission to do what she did next. During the summer, Harry had helped Alexis a great deal in advancing her Legminens to the point were she could see memories if she pushed hard enough into someone's brain, which was exactly what she did to Harry.

_Percy Weasley was handing Ron a sleeping bag when Harry glanced out the Great Hall doors towards the grand staircase. Just as he did, Pansy Parkinson let out a bone chilling shriek, her left hand pointing directly at what Harry had just caught sight of._

_A man with long brown hair drawn back in a ponytail and fierce grey eyes was hurrying down the stairs with a bundle in his hands... only it wasn't just a bundle. It was a person, one with raven black hair and undoubtably bright green eyes if they were open. _

_But they weren't._

_In fact, the small girl in the Swine's arms wasn't moving at all._

_"Hex!" shouted Harry. He took off towards the door only to be stopped by a strangely strong arm._

_Swine didn't falter from his course even with Harry's (along with several other students) cries._

_"McPherson, you pompous arse," he growled, running quickly through the hall. "If you weren't already dead... Merlin, I hate you right now..."_

_"No!" Harry cried, trying desperately to break free of the arm holding him back. He was the only one close enough to the door to hear the man's muttering but the rest of the students seemed to have felt the effect it had had on him because whispering began immediately._

_"She's alright, Harry," comforted a familiar voice, "she's alive."_

_"But he said-"_

_"He wasn't talking about Alexis, Harry," said Dumbledore._

The moment Alexis pulled out of Harry's memories she pulled Harry and Ron into a tight hug.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she whispered.

It had been rather touching knowing how much she mattered to her friends. Alexis had had no idea she meant that much to them.

"Just make sure you hug Moony with just as much mirth," coughed Ron as Alexis released them.

Almost as if by magic, Hermione, who had been discussing something with the Weasley twins, caught sight of Hex in the doorway of the Great Hall.

"Hex!" cried the bushy haired bookworm as she pulled Alexis into a hug. "We were so worried when you missed the feast! And then Peeves swooped in wailing about Sirius Black and Professor McGonagall said you were attacked! And-"

Alexis quickly cut her only female friend off by placing a hand over Hermione's mouth.

"I'm fine, Moony," said Alexis. "Just breath."

An undecipherable noise came from Hermione's mouth.

"What?"

Hermione pushed Alexis's hand down, revealing a playful grin.

"I said, I can't if you keep your paw over my mouth."

Harry and Ron laughed while Alexis rolled her eyes.

"When did you become such a smartalec?"

Hermione didn't reply but Alexis swore she saw her spare a glance back at Fred and George.

.

When lunch finally arrived, the four Gryffindors did not stay in the Great Hall the whole time like the rest of the school. Instead, they made a quick appearance before sneaking out as much food as they possibly could.

"Remind me," said Ron, swallowing the roll he had stuffed in his mouth, "where are we going again?"

"The boat house," said Alexis.

"Why?"

Alexis grinned, stopping before the portrait of Percival Pratt.

"It's a surprise," she said before looking at the portrait and saying, "_this password is absurd_."

The passageway swung open, allowing the four Gryffindors entrance. Grinning wildly, Alexis led her friends inside the dark boathouse.

"I'm back!" Alexis called into the silence, stepping a considerable distance from her friends. "And I brought steak!"

Alexis didn't know if it had been Hermione or Ron but one of them let out a shriek as a blur of black fur tackled her to the ground. Harry had immediately drawn his wand but lowered it when he heard Alexis laughing.

A monster of the dog was licking her face happily.

"Here you go boy," cooed Alexis, pulling a nicely sized steak from her bag. The dog snatched it in his great jaws instantly. "I knew you'd like it."

Standing up, Alexis grinned at her three shocked friends.

"I got a dog!" she exclaimed proudly. "So what should I name it?"

Unfortunately, Alexis's excitement was only shared with one of her three friends: Harry. He was grinning ear to ear as the monster dog finished his steak and started nudging him fondly. Harry immediately started petting him.

"Can we share him?" Harry down right begged.

"Of course," said Alexis, joining in on the petting. She immediately went to behind the dog's right ear.

Ron on the other hand, was not greeted by the dog with as much fondness as Harry had.

"Bloody hell, Hex! You brought a Grim to Hogwarts!" Ron screamed in a fit of fear. He stumbled back as the dog moved towards him, it's sharp teeth very visible. "He's gonna eat me!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Tails," hissed Alexis, quite offended by Ron's words about her pet. "Though Grim is a good name, what do you think Prongs?"

Harry was still grinning ear to ear. It was quite obvious he liked his and Alexis's new dog.

"Grim is perfect, Padfoot," he said. He rejoined Alexis next to the dog and started petting him. The dog in return nudged his head into Harry's shoulder.

"Oh, guys," groaned Hermione, "don't do that, he's filthy! At least wash him first before- EWW! It's licking me!"

Alexis and Harry burst into laughter as Hermione wiped her saliva covered hand off on Ron's shoulder. Ron just stared at them in disbelief.

"Well, Grim seems to like you Moony," said Alexis with a chuckle.

"Great," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"Oh come on Hermione," teased Harry. "He's nothing but a big teddy bear."

A small growl escaped Grim's lips causing Harry and Alexis to laugh.

"Careful, Prongs," laughed Alexis. "Grim here is offended. You might want to apologize."

"Sorry, boy," said a smiling Harry. "Will you ever forgive me?"

Grim nudged his head into Harry as if to give him a hug which Harry embraced and a small bark in her direction told Alexis to join in.

"I'd say your forgiven, Harry," teased Alexis, not letting go of Grim or Harry.

"Well I'm glad you two have a pet now," grumbled Ron sourly, "yours at least won't be eaten."

"Will you give it a rest, Ronald!" Hermione hissed. "Crookshanks did not eat you rat!"

Apparently, Scabbers had gone missing on Halloween. Alexis didn't exactly understand why it had to be Crookshanks fault but she kept her mouth shut, as did Harry, as they continued their way to their afternoon classes. When they finally had to head separate ways, Harry, Hermione, and Ron down stairs to Potions while Alexis to Divination, Hermione and Ron had completely ceased talking to each other.

Somehow, Alexis was completely okay with that.

"Why are they always arguing?" she sighed aloud.

_'Not every relationship works like yours and Harry's, Hex,' _replied McPherson.

"How-"

Alexis froze in the hall. Straining her ears, she could hear two hushed tones arguing around the corridor. Almost immediately, Alexis drew closer.

_'Curiosity killed the cat, Hex,'_ warned McPherson.

_'Then go bother McGonagall,'_ Alexis snapped back. She remembered when she had first met the Transfiguration Professor that she had shown Alexis that her Animagus formed a cat.

"You will not tell her, Draco," stated the voice of Lucius Malfoy. "Am I clear?"

Alexis peeked her head around the corner to see he and Draco were standing alone, both with their arms crossed. Draco nodded his head slowly but submissively to his father.

"But can't Severus tell her?" Draco asked. "She's going to find out eventually now that half of the Slytherin house knows, he might as well tell her."

Lucius laughed softly but genuinely at his son.

"Dear Severus was never good with two things, Draco: talking to children and telling people the truth. He's not going to betray Dumbledore's trust either. As for your housemates, tell them to remain silent or they will get the same punishment as Marcus."

"Yes father," said Draco. He looked at Lucius mildly confused. "Father?"

"Yes Draco?"

Alexis didn't have to look to know Draco was shifting almost uncomfortably. He could argue, debate, and threaten with the best of them even at his age but not his father. Draco had too much respect for him- that or Lucius was the only person Draco respected (not that it mattered to Alexis).

"Why can't you tell Alexis?" Draco asked in a calm voice.

Lucius sighed through his nose.

"Because I, as well as everyone there, swore an Unbreakable Vow never to reveal what happened thirteen years ago. People like your mother and Severus had enough common sense to figure out Alexis's heritage on their own. Not that it was difficult, son. She looks exactly Iike her mother."

With those words Alexis snuck away, her heart beating fast as she climbed the stairs to her tower classroom.

"Is that why you never told me?" Alexis asked aloud. "They made you swear not to?"

McPherson answered her with silence.

"I understand, Tom."

Suddenly full of a new amount of gusto, Alexis grinned wickedly to herself. The pieces of her past were falling together finally and now it seemed only one thing stood in the way of her discovering her heritage.

"One, two, Snape, I'ma comin' for you..."

* * *

Sorry it took me so long lovelies. I had trouble with the Malfoy scene to no end.

It should be verified that yes my Sirius Black is insane but I do not think he is OOC. I feel like if he had ran into a his cousin's look-a-like, never knowing that Bellatrix had given birth to a child, he would act a little mental because he thinks he's mental (Sirius: A young Bellatrix? Oh, Azkaban is finally catching up with me... Oh well, might as well laugh)

Anyway, what are your opinions on my Sirius Black? As you can see, I want him to appear a lot more in the Alexis Lestrange series then the HP series. And how did we feel about Swine in this chapter? Love? Hate? Confused? Good!

**ThatOneGirlNoOneNotices**: Dude thanks for the review BTW you and **Luna the HP** fan may be on the same wave link. You both said it would be hilarious if Sirius's first words were "thanks for the butterbeer."

**phoenixfelicis07**: "oh the irony in your first sentence shall be seen in chapters to come" -Trelawney

I know Alexis learned Remus's secret pretty fast and the reason behind that will be hinted at (but not explained) in chapters to come.

I also hope I've given you enough Sirius in this chapter to satisfy you until I find another time for him to slip in (because there will be more Sirius and all his Siriusnessness... Yes, I had to say that)

And I what I meant but "I promise at least one very dramatic change near the end of this story" I mean Alexis Lestrange and the Grim. BE WARNED this change may cause you to hate me, love me, or be indifferent. It really depends on your character preference

**mwinter1**: and more you have now

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: I would have updated quicker but I spent the weekend with my uncles and didn't have any internet (but the chapter was done Friday night, Saturday morning)

**Luna the HP fan**: You, my lovely, being the amazing review that you are that will review chapters even if another one has already been added, will be getting something special in the next chapter. Now I only hope it is worthy of your level of awesomeness (my father calls me asskisser, just throwing that out there...) btw that was a very accurate Moody that shall be seen in later time

Sorry for any Kingsley fans who were expecting more of him. He'll make another appearance before his technical debut in OotP promise (unless I forget and then I'll apologize to no end).

**Quick note**, please all of you that haven't voted please vote on who you think is Alexis's father on my profile poll. (Quit voting for Lucius, it's not going to be him you sick, twisted... lovely reviewers)

Review!

DCF


	13. Chapter 13

I'm not really big on dedicating chapters to people but this time I'll make an exception. Luna the HP fan, this chapter, and more specifically the Marietta scene, are in dedication to you! Hopefully that's a good thing!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13: Quidditch and Stargazing

Harry had practically dragged Alexis to the hospital wing when she had revealed her plan to him. He couldn't understand how she could possibly see it as a good idea to talk to Snape of all people even if he did know something about Alexis's past.

"You're mad," he said as the two walked towards the Defense classroom. "Absolutely mad."

"Shut up," Alexis snapped, playfully pushing Harry as they walked. "I need to know, alright? It's driving me crazy!"

Harry mumbled something on the lines of "you already are crazy," earning him a very loving love tap from Alexis. The two best friends reached the Defense classroom laughing only to stop doing so when they were greeted by none other then Snape himself.

"Cutting it close, aren't you Potter?" he hissed, giving them both a rather harsh look. He then turned his attention fully to Alexis. "And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class, McPherson?"

"I just got out of History of Magic," replied Alexis. "And I don't have another class until this afternoon."

"Yes, I will be teaching your class as well, seeing that Professor Lupin is to ill to do so," snapped Snape, spewing Remus's name as if it were poison. "Your Defense teacher seems to be incompetent as he has not left a lesson plan for any of his classes today."

"We're working on counterjinxes," said Alexis quickly. She had made sure to cut off Harry's question on where Remus was, knowing full well Snape was looking for ways to reveal Remus's 'furry secret'. Snape had practically told her when he had her help him make Remus's Wolfsbane when he could have had a teacher help him instead.

No, Alexis knew Snape had wanted her to know. He had probably expected her to tell everyone.

_'Sorry to disappoint,'_ Alexis thought to herself, _'but I haven't even told Harry.'_

Almost as if he had read her thoughts, Snape narrowed his eyes at her before turning to Harry once more.

"Inside, Potter," he ordered in his smooth but menacing voice. Leaving Alexis at the door, she just heard Snape shout, "Werewolves will be our topic today. Turn to page 394," before the door closed in her face.

Alexis couldn't help but feeling like a certain bushy haired Gryffindor was about to find out Remus's secret.

.

When Saturday's game finally arrived, Alexis could feel the tension in the air. The whole locker room was silent waiting for Wood's usual pre-game speech but it never came. Instead they all sat there awkwardly, waiting for McGonagall to call them out into the massive storm they were expected to play in.

"Oh, come on!" snapped Alexis, having grown anxious from all the silence. She jumped to her feet and shook Wood as if to snap him from his stupor. "It's just rain, Oliver! Rain! We can play in rain, hell, we've trained in worse!"

"Yeah," said Oliver silently but not very believably.

"Plus, we've got amazing Beaters," Alexis added.

Wood tilted his head in slight agreement. "Yeah."

"Killer Chasers."

"Yeah," Wood said almost loud enough not to sound depressed.

"A kickbutt Seeker."

"Yeah," he said, a smile twitching on Wood's lips.

"And the greatest Keeper in Hogwarts' history!"

Wood let his lips turn up into a smile.

"So are you going to wake up and be the Oliver Wood we know and love?"

Oliver jumped to his feet, bouncing with newly found mirth. There was fire in his eyes again, fire that could only belong to their Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.

"Yeah!" he shouted and the six other Gryffindors applauded him. "Alright men-"

"-and women," added Angelina Johnson.

"-The weather maybe bad but we're Gryffindors!" Wood continued. "We're brave and courageous and are going to show those Hufflepuffs how real Quidditch players play or die trying!"

Six equally loud roars filled the locker room in agreement with Wood before marching out into the cold, harsh wind. Their determination didn't waiver even as lightning struck across the sky above them though Harry seemed to be having trouble walking straight because of his glasses.

Alexis didn't hear Madam Hooch blow the whistle but she kicked off on her broom when the Quaffle was thrown into the air. She took off with amazing speed towards the goals at the end of the field, being blown off course slightly by the strong wind. Her shot was a little wild but still went in leading to a roar from the crowd- or at least Alexis thought it was from the crowd though it could have very likely had been the lightning.

Only twenty minutes later both teams were soaked to the bone with rain. The sky had darkened considerably and the only moments when Alexis could clearly make out the game going on in front of her was when lightning flew across the sky. Luckily, Wood soon called a time out.

"What's the score?" asked Harry, landing ungraciously next to Alexis in the mud.

"We're eighty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

At that very moment, Hermione appeared between Alexis and Harry; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.

"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"

He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "_Impervius_!"

"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked as though he could have kissed her. Fred and George went as far as to lifted her into the air and spin her around.

"Brilliant!" Oliver called hoarsely after the blushing Hermione as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"

Five brooms took off into the sky but Alexis grabbed Harry before he could take off.

"Get the Snitch quick, okay Prongs?" she said. "It's getting unbelievably cold out here."

Harry grinned at her, determination shining in his glasses.

"Whatever you say, Padfoot."

Off they went, Alexis straight for the Quaffle and Harry in search of the Snitch. Alexis had the Quaffle in her hands in a moment but suddenly a eerie silence filled the world around her. She looked to her right and nearly dropped the Quaffle with what she saw.

A hoard of Dementors was heading right at her.

"Hex!" called Harry but his voice sounded very distant. It was almost as like he was speaking through a thick, damp cloth.

"Hex!" another distant voice called, this time it belonged to Cedric.

Alexis tried to answer them but her whole body seemed to freeze. The hooded figures moved closer to her, filling her ears with sounds she never wanted to hear again.

_'But I am, my dear, I am very real...'_

_'Last chance McPherson. Where. Is. The. Girl...'_

_'I'm sorry Hex...'_

Alexis's grip fell from her broomstick and so did she but the voices only grew louder.

_'You don't need to remember them, Alexis... Remember only me, just me...'_

"Hex!"

The faint sound of Harry's voice broke through the darkness that surrounded Alexis only to be replaced by two new voices Alexis had only heard once before.

_'Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy...' _

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Alexis blacked out.

.

_'Open your eyes, Hex,'_ McPherson said.

Alexis let out a groan and was about to ask for ten more minutes before remembering where she was and what had happened. Her eyes immediately snapped open. She tried to sit up but two pairs of arms pushed her down.

"Harry!" she cried in a panic.

"He's right next to you," sad Cedric who, along with Ron, had been the one to push her back down.

Alexis snapped her head faster than necessary to her right. Sure enough, Harry was sitting on the hospital wing next to hers. He was holding wooden shards in his hands.

"Is that-"

"My broom," finished Harry in a deadpan voice. "Or what's left of it."

"The Whomping Willow," started Hermione but she stopped at the look Harry had on his face.

"I've got to go, Hex," said Cedric. "I'm glad you're okay though, Merlin knows what I would have done if you had gotten yourself hurt again."

"It's not like I do it on purpose," Alexis grumbled making Cedric grin.

"You keep saying that and I keep finding it harder and harder to believe," he teased before hugging Alexis goodbye. He waved a quick goodbye to everyone else before heading out the hospital wing doors.

"So," said Ron awkwardly.

"So," said Harry still staring at his broom.

_'Is my broom okay?'_ Alexis asked Ron, feeling like the subject wasn't one to bring up in front of Harry at the moment.

_'Professor Flitwick is still looking for it,'_ replied Ron in only a semi-yell.

"Let's go get food," said Hermione, trying to break the silence in the air. Ron quickly agreed.

"Me and Prongs will catch up, okay, Moony?" said Alexis. She really had to talk to Harry about the Dementors attack. The last two voices in her head she had heard only once before and it had been when she had first listened into Harry's dreams their first year. That particular dream had been a rather nasty nightmare.

Unfortunately, Harry wasn't in the mood for talking. He wasn't hungry either.

"I'm going to head up to the Tower instead," said Harry grimly. "Maybe get some sleep."

"Okay," said Alexis awkwardly. Harry was never one to get depressed but she knew he absolutely loved flying. Without his broom, he felt empty beyond belief.

With a sigh, Alexis watched her best friend leave the hospital wing in a grim march before making her way to the door as well.

"Look who we have here," sneered a voice just as Alexis walked out into the Entrance Hall. She couldn't help but to lift her eyebrow at the curly reddish-blonde hair fourth year.

"Marietta, right?" Alexis said slightly confused.

The Ravenclaw let out a harsh laugh.

"Amazing, you remembered my name!" she said with false enthusiasm. "How lucky am I?"

"Pretty lucky?" Alexis asked very slowly.

"Let's cut to the chase, little girl," Marietta snapped. "Stay away from Cedric. He's Cho's not yours."

Alexis blinked.

"What?"

"Oh don't act so innocent!" Marietta barked. "I know you fell off your broom to get Cedric's attention and boy did you! Everyone was whispering when he called your name before he tried to 'save' you. I'm sure if Dumbledore hadn't sent those Dementors away he would have too and you would have had you knight in shining armor. But you should know you can't have him!"

Again Alexis blinked.

"What?"

Marietta growled at her but quickly stuck her nose in the air snobbishly.

"Fine, play dumb. But you should know, I was put into Ravenclaw for a reason and if you keep causing Cedric to break Cho's heart I'll be forced to show you why."

"Bitch please!" said Alexis before she could stop herself. "Try me."

_'Hex...' _warned McPherson but Alexis was way ahead of him. Deciding against going to the Great Hall for dinner, Alexis made her long trek up the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. She didn't stop until she was standing inside the third year boy's dorm.

"Prongs," she said, snapping Harry out of his depression stare at the pile of twigs in front of him. "Grab the cloak, we're going out."

.

Hours later, the two best friends were sitting on the edge of the Astronomy Tower well into the night. The bad weather had finally disappeared, revealing a perfect clutter of stars in the sky. Alexis and Harry had spent the last few hours talking about nothing but the game and the voices the two of them had heard before blacking out. Alexis had decided against telling Harry about Marietta for now.

"So you heard the woman this time too?" asked Harry quietly munching on a sugar quill.

Alexis nodded her head.

"Yes, but I think it was because I opened a connection with you when I heard your voice. I keep doing it on accident now that I know how your little brain works."

"Cool," said Harry dryly. He hadn't smiled sense before the Dementor attack and it was starting to wear Alexis's patience thin.

Suddenly an idea popped in her head.

Alexis wrapped her hands around Harry's side, grinning.

"Hex, what are you... Don't you dare."

"Smile, Prongs," said Alexis. She engaged Harry in a full fledge tickle assault.

"Stop!" cried Harry between laughs that now sound painful, "Padfoot, stop!"

Alexis, however, continued to tickle her friend mercilessly, or she would, if the trapdoor to the tower hadn't been blown off its hinges. Alexis and Harry jumped to their feet, nearly falling off the roof in the process. They had just enough time to throw the invisibility cloak over them before Remus Lupin appeared.

_'What is he doing here?'_ thought Harry. Alexis grabbed his hand to show her surprise.

"Harry?" the professor said. "Are you alright? Where are you? Does Black have you?"

Both third years breathed a sigh of relief before realizing they would have to slip by their teacher. Quietly they moved towards the trapdoor but either Remus had heard them or he knew about the cloak because he pointed his wand directly at them.

"Come out now," he ordered. Alexis and Harry didn't hesitate to listen.

Remus looked at them baffled. Alexis and Harry bowed their heads ready for him to start yelling.

"What are you two doing out of bed?" he finally asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Stargazing?" said Harry, not sure if it would help, "sir."

Now Remus raised a eyebrow, "Together?"

"What?" said Alexis, instantly figuring out what Remus thought. "No, not like that! We're best friends and Harry was out of it because of the match and his broom so I mentioned stargazing to clear his head. We were stargazing separately, not 'together'."

Even though Remus Lupin was quite amused with how red both of his students' faces had gotten, he continued, "Why was Harry yelling for someone to stop?"

Alexis covered her face.

_'This is so embarrassing!'_ she thought and McPherson's laughter filled her head._ 'Glad you find this amusing, Tom.'_

"I'm waiting," said Remus. Alexis didn't even bother suppressing her groan.

"This one is all yours, Prongs," she said, adding emphasis on the name Prongs. Neither her nor Harry caught Remus's eyes widen, they were to busy staring at their feet.

"Hex, um, Alexis was, uh..." Harry mumbled, quite embarrassed. He looked at Alexis for help.

"I said it was your turn," she hissed.

"Before the sun rises, Harry," said Remus, very amused.

"I was trying to... tryingtogethertostopticklingme."

Remus blinked.

"What?"

"He was trying to get me to stop tickling him," huffed Alexis, clearly not happy she had to tell her professor what was going on. "Harry wouldn't smile so I decided to tickle him."

Remus blinked again, the corner of his lips twitching as his two students turned three shades darker.

"Can we go, professor?"

Shaking his head, Remus gave the two friends a quick look over.

"You said the name Prongs earlier," he said. "Who told you that name?"

If he had found it difficult to get answers about Harry crying out, it was almost down right impossible to get them to tell him where they heard the name Prongs from. Finally, Remus went to his last resort.

"Tell me, or your getting a month's worth of detention for being out of bed with a mass murderer on the loose."

"We-"

"Harry!" exclaimed Alexis.

"What? Look, Hex, it's not worth a month's worth of detention. He might be able to tell us something about it anyway."

"Fine," scoffed Alexis. "We weren't told the name by anyone, we found it on a Marauder note-passer last year. We found out that the Marauders were a group of troublemakers a few years ago and that they were surprisingly a lot like us. Well, sorta. The Marauders seemed to go looking for trouble, we just happened across it."

"We- me, Hex, Ron, and Hermione- adopted their names as nicknames," continued Harry. "I'm Prongs. Hex found it fitting because he seemed to get caught in the most trouble like me."

This time Alexis and Harry saw Remus's eyes widen, they, however, found it best not to say anything about it.

"And you," whispered Remus, "what is your name?"

Alexis, far more reluctant then Harry, answered, "Padfoot. I'm Padfoot, 'cause I get into just as much trouble but don't get caught as much. That, and Prongs here can't do anything without me holding his hand."

"Hey!"

Alexis bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. Remus seemed to find it just as amusing but quickly changed his face to a frown.

"Yes, well," he said clearing his throat, "get back to your Common Room this instant."

And it wasn't until Alexis and Harry got there did Alexis realize Remus seemed to have known who the Marauders were before they told him.

* * *

Sorry that took so long, I didn't have my iPad for a few days so I didn't have anytime to work on it this weekend. I feel like the chapter goes really fast and could have been better but my head is killing me and in think I screwed it up again thanks to it being fragile on account of my concussion. Sorry for the delay once again!

**mwinter1**: here you go!

**Toolaxytologon**: Now where would the fun be in telling you that? I will admit that the death of Sirius Black and Snape are the only two book scenes that have actual led me to not only wailing like a baby but also the throwing of the books (and several other objects). Glad you enjoy the series!

**phoenixfelicis07**: Your Siriusness questions shall hopefully be explained in chapters to come! I hope you'll tell me your theory on the "very dramatic change" soon though I can't promise you that Sirius is on dry land in books to come he will not die yet (or might not die at all you won't know until it happens :D) As for why Snape wasn't present in Azkaban when Alexis's fate was being decided, well even if he was/is her father only those Fudge sought consul with were there. Being Dumbledore's Man through and through could also lead him to having to do things he didn't want to if it kept people from knowing he loved a Muggleborn ('doing' being the key word... Wow, bad joke, really bad joke)

**Luna the HP fan**: Oh, I want to tell you about Swine so bad but it would ruin my plans for him! I'm glad you noticed Alexis's thing for animals is similar to Hagrid's (that will be important later on down the road). I really hope you like the hospital seen too, you are an inspiration!

**ThatAwkwardRandomness**: *clap... clap... clap...* child, you have a way with making people feel good about themselves. Glad you like the series and hopefully you liked this chapter as well.


	14. Chapter 14

Short chapter but important!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14: Checkmate

"You're mad, you are," said Ron. "You want to look inside Snape's brain?"

Alexis sighed, moving her pawn. Ron had reacted twice as bad as Harry had when she told him her plan to find out who her parents were.

"Why don't you just look in Malfoy's brain?" he asked, taking the pawn Alexis had just moved with his bishop.

"Because, Tails," said Alexis moving another pawn, "Draco is my friend. I'm not going to rip through his memories unless I have to. You just don't do that to friends."

"But you'd do it to the old bat?" asked Ron. "Check."

"I didn't say I was going to use Legminens on Snape," said Alexis moving her king where she hoped he was safe. "I'm going to try getting it out of him first. That way when the Ministry asks me how I discovered it I won't have to tell them I can read minds."

Ron snorted.

"Yeah, I think that's smart... Check."

Once more Alexis moved her king growling slightly at the difference in amount of pieces she and Ron had.

"Wish someone would help me out," she grumbled aloud.

_'Now where's the fun in that?' _teased McPherson, laughing softly.

Ron just rolled his eyes.

"I'm never going to get use to that, you talking to him... How do you talk to him?"

Alexis blinked. Purposely knocking down her king, she looked around the Common Room. Besides herself and Ron, only Neville, who was busy scribbling away at his Potions homework due tomorrow morning, was there. Hermione had dragged Harry to argue with the Muggle Studies professor, Charity Burbage, over something about electrical blankets. Alexis hadn't asked nor did she want to know.

Ron cleared his throat awkwardly. He wasn't sure of how Alexis felt when it came to talking about her ability to talk to a dead man.

"I have a theory," said Alexis softly, throwing a glance to Neville. She didn't want to use Legminens on Ron, he was still uncomfortable about the whole thing. "Tom made a spell."

Ron's eyes widened.

"Nothing big," Alexis said, growing a little uneasy by Ron's eye size. "It's just a comforting spell, but he still hadn't worked it all out before... You know."

Ron nodded his head understandably before asking, "What does it do? The spell I mean?"

"It makes some kind of connect between the castor and the target," explained Alexis. "Last until the castor wants it to end or has their thought of the other person broken. It makes the target feel like... well that's the thing that's better to show than explain."

"So cast it on me," said Ron.

Alexis blinked.

"You want me to cast a spell on you?" she asked surprised. "A spell you've never heard of?"

Ron merely shrugged.

"I trust you," he said simply.

"Crazy git," said Alexis, shaking her head.

Ron stuck out his tongue but sat patiently waiting on Alexis. She sighed dramatically and waited until the frantic Neville hurried out of the room mumbling about feeding Trevor.

"_Amo tu_," Alexis said softly.

Alexis didn't have to read Ron's thoughts to know the spell had worked on him. The red headed third year smiled softly as if he was being hugged by a loving friend he hadn't seen in a long time but had truly missed. Alexis released the spell, a smile playing on her lips as she did.

"It was like when I was little," Ron breathed. "When mum used to rock me to sleep after a nightmare. I felt... I don't know what the word is."

"Me either," said Alexis. "That's why I wanted to show you it. I don't know what the feeling is but the closest I could think of is at peace or maybe content."

Ron nodded his head before looking at the old grandfather clock against the wall.

"Nearly eight," he said, stretching with a yawn. "Detention will be starting soon, right?"

"Yep," said Alexis over popping the p. "Quality time with Snape coming up."

"Want me to walk you down?" Ron offered with another yawn.

Alexis shook her head no.

"I've got it. You go get some sleep."

With one last goodbye, Alexis headed out the portrait and down the stairs to the dungeons. She was slightly disappointed that she didn't get to see Harry or Hermione before having to deal with Snape for an hour but forgot about it once McPherson pressed into her thoughts.

_'Are you sure this is a good idea, Hex?' _he asked exactly how Alexis expected a conscious to.

_'I'm sure.'_

_'Okay just be prepared not to like what you find,' _was the last thing McPherson said before Alexis arrived outside the dungeon.

Snape didn't hesitate to give her work. He worked her the whole hour, having her clean every single cauldron until it was shining. When she was finally done, Alexis was tired but still determined to get her answers.

"Sir," she said, approaching Snape's desk. He didn't even look up at her. "Sir."

"You're detention is over, McPherson," Snape snapped, still refusing to look up at her from his papers. "Get out of my classroom."

"I have to ask you something fir-"

"Out."

"But-"

"Out of my classroom, McPherson," Snape said finally looking up. He looked conflicted but mostly angry.

Alexis was angry too. She was going to get her answers from him and that was final.

_'Screw questions,' _Alexis growled, locking eyes with her Potion's Professor.

She pushed through his walls and entered Severus Snape's mind.

_Alexis nearly lost focus when she saw the first memory floating in his mind.  
Snape hurried through the secret passage on Moody and Dumbledore's heels. He just barely caught a glimpse of a black hair girl collapse next to her already unconscious friend._

_"I'll still protect you... No matter what... I'll protect you... Harry... I'll protect..." whispered the girl, falling into unconsciousness. Snape all but ran to her side._

_"Alexis, can you hear me?" he said before thinking_, 'Hex, please...'

_A smile slipped on the girl's face sending a wave of relief through him. She tried to move but Moody's hand pressed her back down._

_"Carry her, I'll get the lad," ordered Moody. Snape nodded before gently pulling the girl in his arms. Alexis's could feel him shaking with nerves as he did._  
_'_Tom...'_ The girl thoughts run through Snape's mind freely. _

_'_It's alright, I have you,' _Snape sent back, a hint of comfort in his voice. '_You're safe now. Just stay with me, Hex.'

'I... I miss you,'_ rambled the girl. Clearly she had him confused with someone else. '_You... You'd be proud of me, Tom... I just know it... I made friends, real friends.'

_Snape choked back a snort. _'I know, I've seen.'

'Do you like them? Harry's my best friend, but Ron and Hermione are really good friends too... and the twins, Draco and Cedric too... Peeves, I like Peeves even though he can be difficult sometimes... like you, Tom.'

_Snape didn't know how to reply. The girl obviously thought he was her late guardian._  
'I met Moody too,' _Alexis rambled on._ 'He's nice... I think he misses you, Tom... I miss you, Tom.'

'I know, Hex... I know,'_ Snape thought._

'Am I dying, Tom?'

_Severus Snape, the King of no emotions, nearly stopped dead. The very idea of her dying seemed to frighten him for reasons even unknown to him._

_When he finally found words, he thought, '_No, Hex. You're not dying and neither is Potter. Just go to sleep.'

_The girl, however, wasn't satisfied. '_Will you be there when I wake up?'

_Again, Snape had no idea what to tell the girl. He hurried to the hospital wing thinking as fast as he could to find the right way of telling her that her request was impossible._

'I can't, Hex. You know I can't.'

_The girl let out a sigh, disappointed but understanding._

'I know but..._ Amo tu, _Tom_... Amo tu...'_

_Alexis felt as her own spell hit Snape before being thrown into another memory. Her eyes took in the familiar sight of the Headmaster's office and the Headmaster himself._

_"Harry, will save her, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly even though he gave off an aurora of worry._

_"Albus, we can't just assume Potter-"_

_"I do not assume anything, Severus," cut in the Headmaster. "I simply put the facts together and the facts show me he will save her or die trying."_

_"And what 'facts' give you the right for this theory?" snapped Snape viciously._

_"Fawkes is gone, as is the Sorting Hat."_

_Snape scowled at the old man's words._

_"Perfect, a bird and a old hat will help the boy save the day."_

_"Severus, I know you care for them both," sighed Dumbledore. "Even if you don't. Now let Alastor and Minerva in..."_

_The memory faded, revealing Snape talking to Lucius Malfoy._

_"You're lucky she didn't die, Lucius," Snape growled._

_"It's not like I wanted it to happen, Severus," sighed Lucius. "It picked her. The book... And now, even with its powers gone, it calls for her. I think... I think Our Lord has grown attached to her and what scares me is I don't know why."_

_Snape was quiet for a moment, his thoughts racing too fast for Alexis to keep up._

_"If he does return," he said slowly, "do not give him the book. Not unless he demands it, or else..."_

_Again the memory faded, revealing Snape and Dumbledore talking once more. Snape looked livid._

_"They can't actually think she'd-"_

_"They can and they do, Severus," said Dumbledore. "And they're is nothing we can do but protect her and Harry from Black and the Ministry."_

_"But just because her mother is a Deatheater and Black's-"_

_"It's more of who her father is that Cornelius fears."_

_Snape stiffened if only for a moment before Alexis saw the memory fade farther back then to a much earlier time. Snape was looking in a mirror, his crooked nose much straighter, and his face a great deal younger. If Alexis had to guess, she would say he had just left Hogwarts._

_Snape made his way through the door quickly, his eyes falling on two dark hair figures with green eyes. _

_"Snape!" shouted a voice. "Hurry up!"_

_"Lestrange, I swear-"_

Alexis went flying across the room as Snape pushed her out of his mind. She hit the wall but stumbled to her feet quickly, her eyes locked on her Potion Professor. Then, not knowing what else to do, she ran.

* * *

*dramatic piano music* cliffhanger!

Okay so the memory scene is supposed to be a rambling mess, Alexis is swimming through Snape's mind with no idea where to look, but for anyone that is confused here's an outline of the scenes she sees:  
First is when Alexis and Harry are rescued from the underground room in the first book; the second is Snape and Dumbledore talking after Alexis has been taken to the Chamber of Secrets; third is where Snape goes after Alexis, Harry and Ron return from the Chamber; fourth is at the beginning of this year; and the last scene is a mystery for you to understand later.  
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter even though it's kind of short!

**mwinter**: here's more!  
**MarineAstriella**: I'm sorry but Swine, along with McPherson, is not Alexis's dad. However, the reason Swine hates Alexis is pretty good in my opinion and I'm sure you can figure it out. Glad you enjoyed my random but funny scenes in the last chapter.  
**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami**: Yeah, Alexis gots a mouth on her (she is American raised after all plus Moody influenced) Glad you enjoyed the last chapter!  
**NeverBeyondRedemption**: And Alexis Lestrange loves you too!  
**Luna the HP fan**: I can see how the Dementor scene can be confusing. All the voices she was hearing were from moments when she, though she would never admit it, felt fear. Tom Riddle taking a solid form, McPherson's death, Alexis forgetting all of her friends for Riddle, and then of course the scene where Harry 'dies' at the hands of Voldie as a baby (though this scene only comes about from accidentally listening to Harry's thoughts, Alexis has seen the scene before in one of Harry's nightmares). Glad you liked the Lupin scene, just another awkward moment between best friends Harry and Hex!

Thanks for all the reviews guy's and please keep sending them!  
**_Review!_**

DCF


	15. Chapter 15

I'm back... Hi!

* * *

Chapter 15: Map to Hogsmeade

Alexis ran as fast as she could out of the dungeons. She had to find Harry, or at least Hermione and Ron. She didn't slow down until she reached the second floor and that was only because she was knocked off her feet by a door.

"Alexis, are you alright?" said Professor Remus Lupin. "I didn't see you there."

"I-" said Alexis. She didn't know what to say. "I need to find Harry. I... I..."

Remus Lupin was very surprised when Alexis threw her arms around him and forced him into a hug. Still, he hugged her back as comforting as he could.

"It's alright, everything is fine," he whispered, not sure if it would help. He couldn't help but notice she wasn't in tears but still looked miserable.

"I just want to know who I am," she mumbled into his shoulder. Her voice was shaky but she still did not cry.

"It's alright," he whispered. "You're you Alexis. You're you."

Alexis snorted bitterly, "Then why does everyone treat me like some kind of ghost? Who am I, professor? Why don't they trust me?"

"I... Come. My office is right here. Let me get you some tea."

Alexis followed her professor into his office looking as miserable as someone could without crying. She took a seat on his couch as he rummaged through his cabinets.

"Would you prefer hot chocolate over tea, again?"

Wordlessly, she answered him with a nod. Her eyes stayed fixated on the rug until she felt a warm mug being pressed into her hand. She looked up and found Remus Lupin smiling weakly at her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"My pleasure," Remus said. "Now will you tell me what's got you in such a miserable state?"

"Black."

Remus Lupin nodded his head sadly in understanding. However, he still asked for her to elaborate.

"Well," said Alexis. After a sip of her cocoa she had felt a great deal better but she wasn't exactly sure about sharing her past with her professor even if he was friends with Moody. "I'm not actually a McPherson. My mother was a Voldemort supporter and gave birth to me in Azkaban. Minister, the one before Cor-Fudge, sent Fudge to deal with me. They decided to have me killed but Tom, Tom McPherson, he saved me."

Alexis met Remus's eye only to realize he wasn't surprised by her words.

"You already know, don't you?"

Remus Lupin nodded his head. "It would be a lie to say no."

"And that's why you watch me," Alexis snapped. "You don't trust me like them! You think I'm going to hurt Harry!"

"Hex, if I thought you were going to help Sirius Black hurt Harry do you really think I would let you in my office?" said Remus with a sigh. Alexis, however, caught something in his words.

"They think I'd help Black?" she asked and immediately knew Remus was in trouble. "Is he my father?"

"Merlin, I bloody hope not!" cried Remus.

"Why?"

Remus sighed. Alexis could tell he didn't want to or wasn't allowed to tell her something.

"Please, Remus," begged Alexis in a whisper. "I swear, I won't tell anyone but Harry. Please."

Remus looked away from Alexis, torn.

"I-I know you're a werewolf," Alexis stated shakily.

Remus Lupin's eyes widened slightly before he took on a calm demeanor.

"For how long?" he asked in an unnaturally calm voice.

"Since Snape had me help make your Wolfsbane potion," said Alexis. "He wanted me to share the secret I think but I didn't because I trust you. I know you won't hurt anyone unless you have no choice."

The two were silent for a long while. Alexis slowly took gulps of her hot chocolate, which made her feel considerably better, while Remus pondered what Alexis had just told him.

"It was very foolish not to tell anyone," Remus reprimanded but a smile played on his lips. "Thank you."

Alexis merely nodded her head. A comfortable silence fell between the two as Alexis, now only sipping, finished her hot chocolate and Remus seemed to be counting the stings in the rug.

"I heard about your first Quidditch game this year," Remus said while taking Alexis's empty cup. "Have they found your broom yet?"

"No," said Alexis. "But it's probably in the Lake. Better than the Whomping Willow though."

Remus's lip twitched upwards.

"Yes, I heard about Harry's broom and the Whomping Willow too. Shame, I don't think there's a broomstick in the world that could survive a beating from the Whomping Willow."

"And the Dementors decided to watch too," added Alexis in false sarcasm.

Remus looked at her as if he had seen a ghost but then quickly shook his head.

"Yes, I heard. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time...furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds...I suppose they were the reason you fell?"

Alexis nodded her head.

"They seem to... like me more than others. Harry too it seems but only a few of them left me when Harry came to help. Why do they... I mean, why me?"

"I'm afraid, I don't have anything more than theories at the moment," Remus said patting Alexis's shoulder. "Like Harry, I believe it is because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have. Top it off, before Sirius, you were the first prisoner to ever escape them."

Remus motioned Alexis into the hall, silently leading her to her Common Room.

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself - soulless and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Alexis, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You are very lucky if you want to get technical."

"I hear things," said Alexis, "weird things, whenever they get near me."

"Such as?"

"Voldemort talking to me, Tom McPherson dying, and last time, Harry's mother dying," stated Alexis.

Remus stopped mid stride. He made an attempt to grab Alexis's arm for support but decided against it in the last minute.

"That is," he started, his voice once more unnaturally calm, "peculiar."

"Yeah," said Alexis awkwardly. "I guess it is."

The two walked the rest of the way to the Gryffindor Tower in complete silence. Just as Alexis was about to go in, however, Remus spoke.

"I promised Harry," he started, "at the beginning of next term I would teach him a defense spell against Dementors."

"You mean like the one you used on the train?"

Remus nodded his head.

"You're welcome to join if you'd like."

Alexis didn't answer. Instead she gave Remus a hug, once more surprising the young man.

"Thanks Remus," she said letting him go.

"That's Professor-"

But Alexis didn't let him finish. She had already disappeared inside the portrait exited about next term.

.

Nothing compared to knowing Remus was going to teach Alexis how to defend herself from Dementors. Not the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match, or that Snape wasn't giving her detentions with him any time soon, or even the fact that Christmas was quickly approaching and Alexis would be spending it with her three favorite Gryffindors.

That is, nothing compared until the last weekend of term when Fred and George became her heroes.

Another Hogsmeade trip was happening the weekend before Christmas break to everyone's delight- everyone that is, besides Alexis and Harry's. Alexis had decided against going there without Harry. Instead the two friends, after spending quality time with Grim and waving goodbye to Hermione and Ron, were on their way up to the Common Room when someone called the two of them.

"Psst!"

"Padfoot!"

"Prongs!"

"Over here!"

Alexis and Harry turned around to see the Weasley twins peering out at them from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.

"What are you doing?" said Harry curiously.

"How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?" asked Alexis.

"We've come to give you two a bit of festive cheer before we go," said Fred, with a mysterious wink. "Come in here..."

He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Shrugging her shoulders, Alexis wordlessly told Harry to followed Fred and George inside. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Alexis and Harry.

"Early Christmas present for you two," he said.

Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George's jokes, stared at it while Alexis's eyes lit up with interest.

"What is it?" asked Alexis curiously.

"This, milady, is the secret of our success," said George, patting the parchment fondly.

"It's a wrench, giving it to you," said Fred, "but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart," said George. "We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."

"And what do we need with a bit of old parchment?" said Harry.

"A bit of old parchment!" said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. Alexis fought off her snicker. "Explain, George."

"Well...when we were in our first year, Harry - young, carefree, and innocent -"

Harry snorted and Alexis laughed. They both doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent.

"Well, more innocent than we are now - we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason -"

"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual -"

"- detention-"

"-disembowelment -"

"- and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"Don't tell me -" said Harry, starting to grin.

"Admit it, we would have do the same thing, Prongs," cut in Alexis.

Fred and George grinned at her.

"George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed - this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?" asked Alexis. She had a feeling this was one of the nicknacks Fred and George had told her about last year.

"Oh yes," said Fred, smirking. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding us up," said Harry, looking at the ragged old bit of parchment.

"Oh, are we?" said George.

He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Harry bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Alexis's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, she noticed something else.

This map showed a set of passages she had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead -

"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" -he pointed them out - "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in - completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly.

"Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it -"

"-or anyone can read it," Fred said warningly.

"Just tap it again and say, "Mischief managed!" And it'll go blank."

"So, new Padfoot and Prongs," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you behave yourself."

"See you in Honeydukes," said George, winking.

They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way. Alexis watched them go, grinning to herself.

"I love them," she said finally. "I absolutely, one hundred percent, love them."

"The Marauders?" asked Harry, amused by his best friend's announcement.

"Them and Fred and George," stated Alexis. She grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him towards the statue. "Let's go Prongsy."

Harry rolled his eyes before looking at the map. A password appeared above the statue on the map and he read it aloud.

"Dissendium!"

At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. The two best friends didn't hesitate to hurry down the passage grinning as they did so. Harry quickly lit his wand as they made their way down the long path until they finally reached the end.

"Trapdoor," Alexis whispered.

She took the lead and pushed it up slowly, revealing a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Alexis and Harry quickly climbed out of trapdoor. When it closed it blended almost perfectly with the floor.

Wondering what they ought to do, Alexis and Harry suddenly heard a door open much closer at hand; somebody was about to come downstairs.

"And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out -" said a woman's voice.

Quickly thinking, Harry hastily pushed Alexis behind himself and a large crate just before a man with a shiny bald head entered the cellar. He didn't notice the two of them nor had Harry, who had his back towards the man as he hid Alexis and himself from view, seen the man.

'_Head out the door now,'_ thought Alexis to Harry as the man became busy with a box opposite to them. '_Hurry Harry!'_

Not missing a beat, Harry hurried out of the room and up the cellar steps with Alexis right on his heels. They slipped out from behind the counter of Honeydukes before disappearing into the well packed store hand and hand.

"That was brilliant!" whispered Harry as the slowly moved through the store. "This place is brilliant!"

Alexis merely rolled her eyes.

The two stumbled over the the section of the store marked Unusual Taste when they caught sight of Hermione and Ron examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops.

"Ugh, no, neither of them would want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," said Harry.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How - how did you -?"

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"

"Well, actually, I can," said Alexis, stepping into view. "But that's not how we got here."

"Hex!" exclaimed Hermione. "You brought Harry out of the school-"

"Calm down, Moony," said Harry, "or I won't tell you how we did it."

He dropped his voice so that none of the other customers could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" said Ron, outraged. "I'm their brother!"

"But they're not going to keep it!" said Hermione, as though the idea were ludicrous. "Harry and Hex are going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not!" said Harry.

"Not on your life!" snapped Alexis

"Are you mad?" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "Hand in something that good?"

"If we hand it in, we'll have to say where we got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

"He can't be getting in through a passage," said Alexis quickly.

Harry continued, "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three - one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through - well - it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar - so unless he knew it was there -"

Harry hesitated and Alexis knew why. What if Sirius Black did know the passage was there? Ron, however, cleared his throat significantly, and pointed to a notice pasted on the inside of the sweetshop door.

_BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall. _

_Merry Christmas! _

"See?" said Ron quietly. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Moony, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"

"Yes, but - but -" Heroine seemed to be struggling to find another problem. "Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet - what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"

"I'd like to see him try something with us here," growled Alexis.

"Plus, he'd have a job spotting Prongs in this," said Ron, nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, Moony, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break."

Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried.

"Are you going to report me?" Harry asked her, grinning.

"Oh - of course not - but honestly, Harry -"

"Moony," sang Alexis. "For the love of Merlin, call him Prongs and quit worrying. Leave that for the next Quidditch game."

"Oi!" barked Harry, playfully swinging at Alexis. Alexis stuck out her tongue at him.

"Alright," sighed Hermione, rolling her eyes at her friends' antics. "I'll quit worrying... Padfoot."

"That's the spirit, Moony!" said Ron cheerfully.

The four friends locked arms before making their way out of the store. They spent the next few hours giving Harry a tour of Hogsmeade. When they were all finally tired and cold, they headed into the Three Broomsticks. It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar.

"That's Madam Rosmerta," said Ron. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?" he added, going slightly red.

Alexis, Harry, and Hermione made their way to the back of the room, where there was a small, vacant table between the window and a handsome Christmas tree, which stood next to the fireplace. Alexis took a seat next to Harry and across from Hermione grinning. So far, this was the best break they had ever had.

Ron came back five minutes later, carrying three foaming tankards of hot butterbeer.

"Merry Christmas!" he said happily, raising his tankard.

Taking a long, deep gulp of her butterbeer, Alexis nearly choked when the front door of the inn opened. Cornelius Fudge, along with Swine, McGonagall, and Hagrid had arrived.

* * *

What is this? Two chapters in two days? Is someone trying to make up for her slowness over the last few weeks? Yeah, pretty much.

Another cliffhanger because I didn't want an extra long chapter so sorry my lovelies if it's killing you. I'd love to still hear some of your opinions on the last chapter as well as this one though!

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: I hope you meant James's daughter and not son ;P and yes, the cliffhanger was for you

: thank you! Hope you liked this one too, please tell me what you think!

**Luna the HP fan**: That's the plan! *laughs evilly before choking on water bottle* It's no fun when you all know, you know? Mawahahaha... :D

**mwinter**: and I shall!

Please still tell me your thoughts on the last chapter as well as this one! I'll try to post soon but remember... **_REVIEW_**!

DCF


	16. Chapter 16

I think I was inspired this weekend ( not sure if that's a good thing or not...)

Anyway, Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 16: All Black

Harry was no doubt confused by Alexis and Ron's quick action to shove him under the table and Hermione's to move the Christmas Tree in front of them but he quickly caught on as Cornelius Fudge and Company came and sat by them.

Next he saw another pair of feet, wearing sparkly turquoise high heels, and heard a woman's voice.

"A small gillywater -"

"Mine," said Professor McGonagall's voice.

"Four pints of mulled mead -"

"Ta, Rosmerta," said Hagrid.

"A butterbeer -"

"Thanks Rosie," said Swine, surprisingly pleasantly.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister."

"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear," said Fudge's voice. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us..."

"Well, thank you very much, Minister."

Alexis looked down to see Harry's eyes wide as saucers.

'Everything alright?' she thought to him.

'Why hadn't it occurred to us that this was the last weekend of term for the teachers too?' he whined in a panic. 'And how long are they going to sit there? We need to sneak back into Honeydukes if we don't want to be caught!'

'I know, just calm down, okay?'

Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded his head slowly just as Rosmerta spoke again.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?"

Fudge's thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice, "What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumor," admitted Madam Rosmerta.

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" asked McGonagall harshly.

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly.

"You know that the Dementors have searched the whole village twice?" said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away...It's very bad for business, Minister."

"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution... unfortunate, but there you are...I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore - he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"As to be expected," said Swine sharply. "Can you imagine what they'd do to the students there? We'd have a second Azkaban, damn near did at the at the Quidditch game in November."

"I heard about that," said Rosmerta. "Dementors attacked two students. Harry Potter and -"

"Alexis McPherson," finished Fudge as if Alexis's name was vile. "Have you learned anything about the girl?"

"Who, Hex?" asked Hagrid. "We al'eady told ya abou' 'er."

"Nice girl," said Rosmerta. "From what I've heard, she's always running around with Harry or at least that's what all the other Hogwarts students say. Kind of a déjà vu moment if you think about it."

There was an odd pause at the table were no one spoke and only the sound of people shifting in their chairs could be heard.

"I suppose it is, isn't it?" said McGonagall softly.

"Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought...I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

"Far worse," said Swine.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosie," murmured Swine. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? Kind of like you and..." Rosmerta coughed awkwardly before continuing, "The number of times I had them in here - ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk. Alexis grabbed his hand as a million thoughts started running through his head.

"Precisely," said McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers -"

"I dunno," chuckled Hagrid. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."

"You'd have thought Sirius and James were brothers," said Swine with a cold laugh. "Always in the Common Room scheming their next prank. The two of them were inseparable!"

"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Worse," said Swine grimly.

Fudge nodded his head in agreement before continuing in Swine's place with a low voice.

"Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest. McGonagall cleared her throat.

"An immensely complex spell," she said, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find - unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Obviously," said Swine. "James told Dumbledore that Sirius would die rather than tell where they were, that Sirius was planning to go into hiding himself."

"...and yet, Dumbledore remained worried," said McGonagall. "I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" gasped Madam Rosmerta.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?"

"He did," said Fudge heavily. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed -"

"Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it -"

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

"Shh!" said McGonagall.

"I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead...an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.

"Hagrid, please!" said McGonagall. "Keep your voice down!"

"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, 'Give Harry ter me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him -' Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. 'I won't need it anymore,' he says.

"I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn' he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him.

"But what if I'd given Harry to him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to em anymore..."

A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Madam Rosmerta said with some satisfaction, "But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!"

"Alas, if only we had," said Fudge bitterly. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew - another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew...that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" said Madam Rosmerta.

"Hero-worshipped Black and Potter," said McGonagall. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I - how I regret that now..." She sounded as though she had suddenly lost her voice.

"There, now, Minerva," said Fudge kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses - Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later - told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens..."

McGonagall blew her nose and said thickly, "Stupid boy...foolish boy...he was always hopeless at dueling...should have left it to the Ministry ..."

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed around with wands - I'd 've ripped him limb - from - limb," Hagrid growled.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," said Fudge sharply. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. So was Carter and Pherson before Pherson... well before he turned too. I - I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him...a heap of bloodstained robes and a few - a few fragments -"

Fudge's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of four noses being blown and an odd cough from Swine.

"It took twenty of us to take him in," said Swine gruffly. "Peter Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh.

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?"

"I wish I could say that he was," said Fudge slowly. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man - cruel... pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them...but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored - asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him - and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" said Madam Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his - er - eventual plan," said Fudge evasively. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing...but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again..."

There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass.

"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," said McGonagall.

"Right," said Rosmerta, clearing her throat. "I have to get back to work too. Goodbye Minister, Professor, Hagrid, Carter."

Four goodbyes filled the air as the barmaid left. Once she was gone, Fudge spoke in a dull whisper.

"She says Alexis and Harry are always together? Have you even tried to separate them as I insisted?"

"No we haven't," snapped McGonagall harshly. "Nor do we plan to."

"Hex wouldn' do nothin to hert Harry," added Hagrid. "They've been best frien's since firs' year!"

"So were Potter and Black," grumbled Fudge. "What is your opinion on the girl, Carter?"

"No respect for the Ministry," Swine answered instinctively.

"That's because you came in threatening to carry her off the Azkaban from the moment you saw her!" barked McGonagall. Swine looked unfazed.

"I wasn't finished," he said calmly. "She may be disrespectful but she does seem to genuinely care for Potter. The two of them have been through the mill together and are still best friends... But then again, Rosie was right about the déjà vu moment with the two of them. The only thing different is the time."

"At least the girl doesn't know she's related to Black," sighed Fudge. "Then we would have a problem."

The four made their way out of the inn just as Alexis crumbled to the floor next to Harry.

Maybe she hadn't wanted to know her heritage as much as she thought...

.

Dinner had been a quiet occasion for the four third years, agonizingly quiet. Hermione and Ron kept sending glances at their two friends trying to understand what was going through their minds. Alexis and Harry merely stared at their dinner plates full of food and untouched before heading up to the Tower. They were halfway there when Alexis remembered she had to feed Grim.

"I'll meet you up there," said Alexis emotionlessly.

"Don't bother," said Harry. He hugged his best friend close. "I'll meet you in the boathouse. I have to grab something first."

He disappeared up the grand staircase before Alexis headed towards the boathouse. She was greeted by a massive, and now only slightly skinny, monster of a dog.

Grim barked happily at his owner's return but stopped as soon as Alexis came into view. It was almost as if he could tell something was wrong. Immediately, Grim tried to comfort his distressed owner.

"Harry's godfather," Alexis mumbled into the dog's fur as she squeezed it. "He's Sirius Black."

Grim made a yelping noise. Alexis released him immediately.

"Sorry, Grim," she sniffed. "I didn't mean to squeeze you so tight."

Just then, Harry entered the boathouse carrying the leather-bound photo album Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of wizard pictures of his mother and father.

"I thought," he started but stopped. "I was hoping we could... Maybe Fudge was mistaken."

"Maybe," agreed Alexis halfheartedly. She motioned for him to sit next to her and Grim.

Harry took his seat and flipped through the photo album for one picture in particular: his parent's wedding photo. There was Harry's father waving up at them, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was Harry's mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with Harry's dad. And there...

With a jagged intake of breath, Harry buried his face in Alexis's shoulder, his body shaking with anger and sorrow. Alexis wrapped her arms around her best friend comforting him as best she could. She paid no attention to Grim, who had buried his snout in the wedding photo. Her only concern was Harry.

"_Amo Tu_, Harry," Alexis whispered.

Almost immediately, Harry ceased to shake but he remained firm in Alexis's arms.

"Hex," he said, his voice muffling in her shoulder.

"Yeah, Prongs?"

"I'm... I'm sorry."

Alexis looked down at her best friend. Grim had long since laid across the two third years' laps to comfort them and was now looking at Harry with sorrowful brown eyes.

"What for?" she asked truly bewildered.

"For being weak."

"You're not weak, Harry," Alexis said matter-a-factly. "Just because you're sad doesn't mean you're weak. You're strong and you're my best friend. I care about and I'm not going to let some psychopath hurt you even if he is my blood."

"I'm still sorry," said Harry, looking Alexis in the eye.

"Why are you sorry now?"

"Because the next time I see Sirius Black I'm going to kill him."

Alexis looked at Harry. She could see the determination in his eyes, the hatred. Harry was never one to show such emotion. It was new, different, perhaps even dangerous.

"I'm with you."

* * *

They've made a pack to kill Sirius Black! What!? I just had to skip Grim's reaction because I think it's best you imagine that one! Anyway, Alexis has just been given a major hint on her heritage! Will she finally figure it out or will I drag this out for another book? Who knows!

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami:** Who said I was trying to trick you ;P haha I'm glad I'm updating faster than everyone else. It bothers me to know end when it takes months to update (I know, I took a month to update earlier but I'm trying to make up for it)

**mwinter**: no more awaiting!

**pheonixfelicis07**: Well hello lovely! Haven't heard form you in a week!

Ch 13: I'm glad you like Remus's reaction in the tower and understand his more protective feelings towards Harry. Your theory on why Sirius can not be Hex's father are rather solid though I can't say its one hundred percent accurate (I can but I'm not going to ;D) Hex and Harry are going to get teased about their relationship more and more as the story goes on (I want a embarrassing scene in front of Dumbledore or Snape so much it hurts) with very similar reactions from the duo. I'm glad you get the relationship between Alexis and Cedric is completely sibling too!

Ch 14: Snape is still a champion when it comes to Occlumency but he had no idea Alexis was that advance at Legilimency or else he would have kept up better shields around her (which he most definitely will start doing!) I made Snape a little more readable in this story so in the end he won't be nearly as hated. We all already knew he cared about Harry though it was never openly admitted in HP so I just decided to add a few special scene proving that along with showing his feelings towards Alexis. The Fudge scene does seem to go a thousand ways, doesn't it? *cheshire grin* Lucius and Snape both know who her mother is but don't be too quick to assume they know who her father is (though they could I'm just saying don't assume ;P) As for why Lucius is scared, well you're just gonna have to wait and see aren't you?

I agree, the Hex and Ron scene was cute and very important in chapters to come

Ch 15: As you can see, if Hex hadn't already accepted Remus as one of her friends she most definitely has now! Poor Remus... Just kidding but their relationship will still develop even farther so don't worry (and yes there will be more embarrassing Hex and Harry scenes along the way)

Patronus scene coming soon! Please review again!

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: you got really close to a bullseye with that guess, nice job!

**Whoa it's fandoms**: Interesting Boggart, Alexis doesn't have a wand so opps gotta call Peeves, and glad to know you like the series!

**Luna the HP fan**: Haha glad you liked the Remus scene! I'm not exactly sure what my Patronus is but I'll try and figure it out by next chapter!

Anyway, as always, thanks for the reviews! Please send more!

DCF


	17. Chapter 17

3 Chapter 17: Christmas Holiday

Ron and Hermione had not approved of Alexis and Harry's pack to kill Sirius Black. Alexis had a feeling Cedric and Draco wouldn't either but they weren't at Hogwarts to ask. In fact, only six students had stayed at Hogwarts for the Christmas Holiday: Alexis, Harry, Hermione, Ron and ironically the same Hufflepuff and Slytherin Peeves had captured under the mistletoe Alexis's first year. When Ron noticed this, he made a comment about Alexis and Harry's first kiss, earning him a blushing Harry and a harsh jab in the gut from Alexis. He earned another jab when Hermione demanded an explanation.

Harry, who had been extremely angry at Hagrid for never mentioning Sirius Black was his godfather and his parents' friend, had forgiven Hagrid when news about Buckbeak's trial reached them. Alexis had been the closest to tears Harry had ever seen her when she had learned Hippogriffs almost unstoppable fate.

The four friends had stayed up most of Christmas Eve night looking up court cases where a Hippogriff was not executed to no avail. Just before midnight Ron spoke.

"I'm going to bed," he said rubbing his tired eyes. "There's nothing here that will help us help Hagrid."

"You're giving up?" asked Alexis. "Tails!"

"I'm not giving up!" snapped Ron harshly. He quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. It's just, the books aren't helping, if anything they're just going to give us nightmare about what might happen to Buckbeak."

Ron was right. All the books had told them were the unfortunate deaths of magical creatures brought to court. Some where, especially the ones about Hippogriffs, were rather gruesome.

"I'm sorry to," mumbled Alexis closing her book. "Don't forget to check on Scabbers. Spending a month hiding in your trunk hasn't done him any good."

Hermione made a huffing noise. She was still angry that Ron had accused her cat of killing Scabbers when he had in fact been hiding.

Ron said goodnight and shortly afterwards Hermione followed. Then it was just Alexis and Harry, who had both long since put away the court books they were reading and taken a seat on the couch together.

"It's so quiet," said Harry as Alexis leaned on his arm.

"No Weasley twins to cause chaos so of course it is," teased Alexis. She let out a sigh before speaking the thought that had been running through her mind all day. "Do you think he knows who I am?"

"Black?" asked Harry. "I know he knows of you, he's attacked you twice, but I don't know if he knows you're his... you know?"

"Draco said the whole Slytherin House already knew. How could they know something like that without, you know, proof?"

Harry leaned his head on Alexis's, sighing softly through his nose as he did.

"You really do look alike Alexis," he said. "Minus the beard and the brown eyes."

Closing her eyes, Alexis combined all the information she had on Sirius Black before thinking aloud.

"Fudge said we're related," she started, "and by how much we look alike, he's probably a close relative, most likely my dad seeing that's who Fudge fears most out of my parentage. He was on the Knight Bus with us so he thinks my name is Trix and that the Lestranges raised me. He finds it funny that I'm a Gryffindor but he didn't kill me when he had the chance. What are we missing?"

"I don't know, Hex," said Harry. Alexis buried her head deeper into his shoulder. "What did you learn from Snape?"

"Nothing helpful," Alexis said. Snape had confused her more than anything and now the Potions Master down right avoided her.

"Hmm," said Harry, yawning.

Alexis couldn't help but to yawn with him. It was only a matter of minutes before the two were fast asleep- or they were- until Ron woke them up.

"Oi! Presents!" shouted Ron, pegging his two friends with a pillow.

Alexis jumped to her feet only to fall over Harry's outstretched leg. Harry moved to help her up but Alexis, with a devilish grin, grabbed his arm and pulled him down with her. The two wrestled a bit before adding Ron to the ruckus. Laughter filled the Common Room as the three playfully fought each other only to stop with a loud snapping noise.

"Merry Christmas!" said Hermione. Her bushy hair was as wild as ever and she was wearing a pair of light blue pajamas. In her hand was a camera that had recently gone off.

"Merry Christmas, Moony!" the three remaining Gryffindors cried.

"Whatcha got there?"

Hermione blushed humbly.

"My parents sent me a camera so I can show them all the fun times we have at Hogwarts," she said. "I think that will make an excellent first photo, all my friends fighting on Christmas."

"Ron started it!" cried Alexis.

"No, Harry did!" defended Ron.

"It was Hex's faulted!" huffed Harry.

Soon all four friends were laughing as they began digging into their presents. Like the last two years, Alexis and Harry had far less presents than the rest of their friends but neither of them noticed. They were happy with just having time to spend with their friends.

Mrs. Weasley had sent Alexis and Harry matching sweaters again only this year Harry's was scarlet with a golden lion on it while Alexis's was scarlet with a golden Chimera. Alexis had also received the next addition to the Monster Manual, which she was currently feeding fudge to, when Harry stumbled across two similar long packages, one for himself and one for Alexis.

"What are those?" said Ron, looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand.

"Dunno..."

Alexis and Harry ripped the packages open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out in front of each of them. Ron dropped his socks and rushed over for a closer look.

Alexis picked her broomstick up in awe. It was a Firebolt, the broom she and Harry had admired every day while they were staying in the Leaky Cauldron. Harry held an identical one in his hand.

"Who sent you two those?" said Ron in a hushed voice.

"Look and see if there's a card," said Harry.

Ron ripped apart both Alexis and Harry's wrappings.

"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you two?"

"Well," said Harry, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."

"And it wasn't Mad-Eye," breathed Alexis. "Holy shit."

"Language," Harry said but only halfheartedly.

"I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron. "He protects you from the Ministry and he sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously..."

"That was my dad's, though," said Harry. "Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this -"

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism."

"That git is my friend, Tails," snapped Alexis but she also did it half heartedly. "But Dumbledore would never spend this much money on one student, let alone two."

"I know," said Ron, "I know who it could've been - Lupin!"

"What?" said Harry, now starting to laugh himself "Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."

"Yeah, but he likes you two," said Ron. "And he was away when your brooms got smashed and went missing, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for -"

"What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when I was playing in that match."

"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"

Alexis looked over both her friends, forgetting her new broomstick for a moment. She had to find away to distract them off of Remus.

"Let's go ride them!"

"Ride what?" asked Hermione. She had gone upstairs to retrieve Crookshanks. When her eyes caught sight of the two Firebolts they widened to the size of saucers. "Who sent you two those?"

"Lucius?" said Alexis unsurely. "We don't really know."

Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

"What's the matter with you?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"

Ron sighed exasperatedly.

"It's the best broom there is, Hermione," he said.

"So it must've been really expensive..."

"Just one probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.

"But listen," said Hermione. "Who would spend so much money on you two?"

Alexis had the strangest feeling that she should listen to Hermione and think this through but she ignored it. She and Harry had been using Hogwarts' brooms for the last few practices and they had been utterly terrible. Now with a Firebolt, they were going to smoke the competition.

"Outside!" Alexis shouted, rushing towards the portrait with her broomstick. She didn't have to look back to know Harry and Ron were following her. Hermione hesitated slightly, seeing that she was only in her pajamas, but quickly followed after them.

Cold air hit Alexis's face as she walked out of the castle, causing her to shutter slightly. She was only wearing her sweater from Mrs. Weasley and a pair of Muggle trousers like Harry seeing that the two had fallen asleep before changing for bed. None the less, Alexis and Harry took off on there new brooms without a moment of hesitation.

The second Alexis's feet left the ground, she couldn't help but to remember her first flying lesson two years ago. It hadn't been as cold then but Alexis remembered the feeling of absolute freedom she felt as she first took off into the sky.

It was nothing compared to the freedom she felt while flying the Firebolt.

Not only was the Firebolt beautiful and appealing to look at, it was also unbelievably fast. Everything around Alexis was a blur as she zipped and zigzagged through the air. The Firebolt moved gracefully underneath her as if it were apart of her, and by the look on Harry's face when they landed, Harry felt the same way.

"Awesome," breathed Alexis, falling back to her American slang. Harry couldn't agree more.

.

"You really should of had a teacher check them before you rode them," huffed Hermione as they made their way to dinner that night. "What if Sirius Black had sent them?"

"Yeah, you're right Moony," said Alexis sarcastically. "Sirius Black, an escaped convict, found a way to buy not one but two of the most expensive brooms in the world and sent them as Christmas presents to me and Prongs. If he had wanted to jinx us or curse us with a Christmas present he could have just sent us a Nimbus Two-Thousand or something. It would have saved him money and we still would have taken it."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue but stopped walking instead. Alexis, Harry, and Ron did too.

"Are they... Are those two students kissing?" she asked pointing down the hall towards the kitchen entrance.

Sure enough, the same Hufflepuff and Slytherin from first year were in fact kissing.

"Peeves got them again?" snickered Ron.

Alexis squinted her eyes before letting them grow as big as saucers. A small grin slowly grew on her face.

"Peeves isn't there, Tails," she said, ending Ron's snickers. "And neither is a mistletoe."

"Lovely," said Harry, his ears turning red as the two girls grinned knowingly. "Let's go the long way."

"Yeah," said Ron awkwardly. "Let's leave them alone."

It took an extra ten minutes to reach the Great Hall and Alexis wasn't surprised to see the Hufflepuff and Slytherin nowhere insight. In the Great Hall, the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker.

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables...Sit down, sit down!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down side by side at the end of the table just as the Hufflepuff and Slytherin walked in.

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Harry and Ron fought to stifle their snickers at the sight of the hat, no doubt thinking back to the Boggart Snape earlier that year. Alexis didn't even try to stop her laughter, earning her an unpleasant look from Snape and a twinkle eye from Dumbledore who swapped the new hat for his wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.

Alexis didn't need to be told twice. The feast was very delicious, and only got better as it continued. McGonagall and Trelawney, who had joined them only minutes later, had gotten into an argument over Divnination, Sprout had jokingly made a comment about Patricia Stimpson and Adrian Pucey, the Hufflepuff and Slytherin students, relationship causing the two to blush (and Snape to scowl), and Dumbledore along with Flitwick had broken out into song on several occasions. Even Filch seemed to be having a good time, though he did narrow his eyes at Alexis when Mrs. Norris sat on her lap for a bit.

When the feast drew to an end, Alexis and Harry both grinned at each other. As the rest of the students and staff hurried off to spend the rest of their Christmas as they saw fit, Alexis and Harry approached Dumbledore.

"And what can I do for you two?" Dumbledore asked in his usual jolly way.

"Nothing," said Alexis. "We thought you might like these."

Simultaneously, Alexis and Harry removed the small gift they had hidden in their robes. Opening them wordlessly, Dumbledore smiled up at his two students very pleased.

"Ah!" he said pleasantly, lifting his gifts in the air. "Socks! Wonderful! You remembered!"

Alexis had never seen a more joyful smile on a man Dumbledore's age, what ever that was, nor did she expect to. Her and Harry had been planing to get him socks ever since their first year when he had told them it was all he wanted. These particular pairs were purple with stars on them and blue with the moon.

"Thank you very much, Alexis and Harry," said Dumbledore. "Have a very wonderful Christmas."

"You too sir," said Harry.

"And don't think we don't pay attention," added Alexis teasingly. She could still see the smile on Dumbledore's face as they made their way to the boathouse.

"Merry Christmas, Grim!" said Harry as the massive dog knocked him to the ground. "Did you miss us?"

"Stupid question, Prongs," teased Alexis as Grim licked Harry's face clean. "I don't know how Grim would survive without us."

Grim barked in unison before tackling the already sitting Alexis. He preceded to greet her in a similar manner to how he had greeted Harry.

"Down boy," laughed Alexis. "Prongs, give him some food."

Harry did as he was told slowly, laughing at Alexis as he did. When Grim was finally distracted enough by the food, Harry sat down by Alexis.

"Do you think we should let him out, Padfoot?" he said. "Grim is rather big and I don't think he has much room in this boathouse."

"Grim leaves all the time, Harry," said Alexis. "Why do you think there is no shit in here?"

Grim lifted his head from the food he was devouring and cocked it towards Alexis making Harry laugh.

"See, even Grim doesn't like it when you cuss!"

"Everybody is a critic," Alexis mumbled but smiled at Harry.

A few hours later, the duo returned to the Common Room, tired and weary.

"Best Christmas?" asked Harry.

Alexis nodded her head.

"Definitely."

And it was - until the portrait swung open revealing Ron and Hermione shouting at each other. Alexis didn't need to hear what the we arguing about. In Ron's hand was his bed sheet, a small pool of blood on it and very noticeable cat claw marks.

"Scabbers."

* * *

So I know a lot of people are like, 'Oh, Hex got a Firebolt too? How unoriginal.' Well, I thought long and hard on it and I just couldn't see Sirius only buying Harry one. He clearly cares about both of them equally so I had to make sure he treated them both equally.

I finally gave names to the faces of my Hufflepuff and Slytherin from first year, both of which are real characters with only three or four lines about them in the real HP series. And yes, I had to get Dumbledore those socks! I always thought Harry would have in the series but he never did so I made him and Alexis do so.

'Grim' is getting absolutely spoiled with all the time he gets to spend with Alexis and Harry but what's Christmas without your favorite 'dog'?

Anyways, please review! I don't know when I'll be able to post again but it will probably be next weekend!

**Whoa it's fandoms**: like I said, thank you! I'm honored to know that!

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami**: short or not, thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter too!

**RANDOM COOKIE NINJA**: Here's that update! Please review and tell me what you think!

**mwinter**: your welcome, hope you enjoy!

**pheonixfelicis07**: So you've discovered the secret of Swine, have you? Good job! Though there is more to it but only a little. Alexis doesn't know who her mom is but she strongly, though she isn't hundred percent sure, thinks Sirius is her dad. You're right about the father thing, I'm not going to make it easy ;) I mean, I have four more books to cover! I can't give that away too soon or it ruins the point in reading it! And yeah, I did make Sirius have a rough time in the last chapter but it was to be expected. Just wait until the truths are revealed then it's gonna get real

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: Yeah, Hex is almost positive Sirius is her dad and he does fit the job well. I mean, he looks like her, she acts like him, they were both the Potter's best friend, both are Padfoot, Sirius is seen as Voldie's #1 and Alexis knows her father is the one Fudge is afraid of etc. etc... the list goes on and on. As for Grim's reaction, it's rather self-explanatory. Sad. Very, very sad Grim. Tell me what you think about this chapter!

**Luna the HP fan**: Your first guess was correct! And yes, yes it will. Hex is totally guessing dad but isn't one hundred percent sure yet. Please review again!

**ZabuzaGirl**: As you wish! Please review again!

Thanks again, and remember to REVIEW!

DCF


	18. Chapter 18

3 Chapter 18: Patronus Lessons

Hermione and Ron had ceased speaking to each other much to Alexis and Harry's dismay. It caused a great strain in the four Gryffindors' friendship and Alexis and Harry found themselves swapping between friends, Alexis with Ron while Harry was with Hermione or visversa. It was truly bothersome to the two best friends seeing as it cut into their time spent with each other. Luckily, their fellow students finally returned and classes started again as usual, leaving Hermione and Ron little time to avoid each other.

Quidditch practice had also picked up again. Alexis and Harry had both agreed not to tell Wood they received Firebolts on Christmas but had informed him that they had brooms coming in. During practice the two used the school's old brooms which were wobbly at best and never flew as straight as Alexis would like. Not to mention, the old brooms were snails compared to the Firebolts Alexis and Harry had hidden under their beds.

But neither Quidditch nor classes could compare to when Remus told the two best friends their anti-Dementor lesson would be beginning Thursday at eight-o-clock. Alexis was so giddy about this that she completely ignored the fact that her flobberworm had decided to attach itself to her shoe- or at least she did until the entire class's flobberworms clung to her as if she was their nurturing mother.

"At least that was entertaining," grumbled Ron as the class was dismissed. Hermione had run off already to make her next class. "Since the first lesson, Hagrid's class has been so bor-"

Harry politely hit Ron in the ribs with his elbow.

"I'll admit, flobberworms are pretty boring," said Alexis with a sigh as she finished getting the last of the flobberworm slime of her shoes. "But they're so adorable!"

Harry and Ron shared a look. Alexis didn't have to read their minds to know what they were thinking.

"I'm not crazy, you-"

"Detention, McPherson," snapped the slippery voice of Snape. He had finally ceased avoiding Alexis and now had started antagonizing her endlessly once again.

"Yes, professor," Alexis replied sarcastically. She wasn't even going to bother asking what the detention was for this time. She had a feeling it was to force her into helping him make another batch of Wolfsbane. "Can't waiting."

Snape scowled but continued down the hall in a wave of black.

"What crawled up his arse and died?" asked Ron.

Simultaneously, Alexis and Harry replied, "Flobberworms."

.

Just before eight, Alexis and Harry reached the History of Magic classroom. Remus had decided it would be the best place for them to practices seeing that it was the largest classroom. Remus was already inside, standing beside a large packing case.

"Hello!" said Remus cheerfully, despite still looking a little ill from his last transformation. "Had trouble finding the classroom, did you?"

"Sorry professor," apologized Harry but Alexis knew Remus was only jesting. She stuck her tongue out at him causing a humorous smile to slide across his face.

"Ready you two?" He asked. Both Alexis and Harry nodded. "Inside here is another Boggart. I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees you, Harry, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Wish I had a cupboard," Alexis mumbled, trying to lighten the mood. Her giddiness had subsided. She wasn't very comfortable with facing another Boggart at the moment especially after the trouble the last one had caused but she couldn't deny it was a better choice than a real Dementor.

"So..." said Remus, taking out his own wand. "The spell I am going to try and teach you two is highly advanced magic - well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" said Harry nervously.

"Well, when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus," said Remus, "which is a kind of anti-Dementor - a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor.

"The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon - hope, happiness, the desire to survive - but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, both of you, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does it look like?" asked Alexis, curiously. "The Patronus, what does it look like?"

"Each is unique to the wizard casting it. Usually it is your familiar or Animagus form."

Alexis couldn't help but to picture a Chimera roaring at a Dementor and the watching the Dementor flee. It made a smile slip on her face.

_'Focus, Hex,' _reprimanded McPherson, half heartedly.

"The Patronus," continued Remus, "can only be conquered with an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

"Okay," breathed Harry. He seemed to be just as nervous as Alexis.

"The incantation is this -" Remus cleared his throat. "_Expecto patronum!_"

"Expecto patronum," Alexis and Harry repeated, "expecto patronum."

"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"

Alexis closed her eyes. Her happy memory was her and McPherson sitting in their living room. She could hear him reading her favorite story from The Tales of Beedle the Bard...

_'There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight...'_

"_Expecto patronum!_" cried Alexis and Harry together.

A wisp of silvery smoke left the end of Harry's wand as Alexis felt a strange tingling sensation travel down her arm. Her Chimera tattoo seemed to be the cause of the sensation as it raced towards her hand. Just as it reached the bottom of her wrist a similar wisp to Harry's appeared briefly in her hand before evaporating away.

"Wow," Alexis whispered.

"I did it," breathed Harry, his eyes on his wand and nothing else.

"Very good," said Remus, smiling. "Right, then - ready to try it on a Dementor?"

The two best friends looked at each other before nodding.

"Right then- Harry, you'll have to stand in front of Alexis so the Boggart takes the right form. Ready?"

Alexis nodded her head once more but couldn't help but to bite her lip. She didn't want to hear those voices in her head again. She didn't want to hear the voices like last time.

_'I'm here for you,'_ whispered McPherson, easing Alexis nerves.

Remus began opening the packing case. Harry tightened his grip on his wand. Alexis took a deep breath.

_'Focus on me, Hex.'_

A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward the two Gryffindors, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward them, drawing a deep, rattling breath. The coldness in the air was undeniable...

"_Expecto patronum!_" Alexis and Harry yelled but nothing happened.

Alexis felt her feet wobble as the Dementor drew closer to them. Her mind was racing for her happy memory but she couldn't find it.

_'Alexis!'_

Tom McPherson's voice filled her ears and she closed her eyes, focusing on it solely.

"Alexis! Please!"

Alexis snapped open her eyes. The coldness was everywhere, even in her very bones, but Harry wasn't by her side. She wasn't even in the classroom anymore. She was standing in a field. A blackness was encircling her but slowly, as if it's attention was focused on something else. As her vision ceased to blur, she realized the blackness was a swarm of Dementors and their attention was in fact drawn to something else.

Cowering in a heap was a fragile red headed girl barely able to pull off being five or six years old. She was crying out for someone.

"Tom!"

"Alexis!"

Turning her attention to the new voice, Alexis caught sight of a boy who she could only bet was a teenaged McPherson from the photos Hagrid had given her at the end of her first year. He was running with his wand out but even Alexis knew he was too late. The Dementors moved closer towards the girl and coldness filled Alexis's very core. They moved for their hoods revealing...

"Alexis!"

Alexis blinked. She was back in the classroom, back in Hogwarts. Harry was sitting next to her slightly frazzled while Remus stood above both of them with chocolate.

"What happened?" Alexis asked, her voice hoarse for some reason. "Never mind, I think I know the answer to that."

"Yeah," said Harry. "Professor Lupin said we could try again, though."

Alexis merely took the chocolate from Remus and sat down again. She watched as Harry tried three more times to cast a Patronus but her mind was elsewhere.

She had fallen into one of McPherson's memories, that she knew for a fact.

_'But you're dead,'_ she thought.

_'I know,'_ was McPherson's reply. It was his only reply in fact, leaving Alexis to ponder what had happen on her own.

She joined Harry in the last attempt at casting a Patronus, Harry's far better then hers, before realizing just how horrible exhausted she was.

"Excellent!" praised Remus after returning the Boggart to the packing case. "Marvelous job the two of you."

"Harry was the one that did excellent," said Alexis. "I feel like my bones are frozen."

"Yes, well, James was always better at Patronuses," said Remus offhandedly.

Harry's head snapped up.

"You knew my dad?"

"I- I did yes," said Remus rubbing the back of his neck. "We were friends at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said Harry, softly.

There was a strange pause between the three of them before Remus gave the two third years two large bars of Honeydukes chocolate. He ordered they eat all of it or else Madame Pomfrey would have his head before saying goodnight and dismissing them.

"Do you," started Harry as they made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower. "Do you think he knew Black?"

Alexis leaned softly against her best friend. He pushed back playfully, breaking the seriousness that had grown with facing a Dementor.

"No more than anyone else at Hogwarts," she said of handedly but she wasn't convinced. She wasn't stupid. Alexis had figured out who the friend Remus never mentioned was and she knew it was Sirius Black. It was the only thing that made sense seeing that he never mentioned him by name.

"You can always ask him," suggested Alexis.

Harry hummed softly, "Maybe."

In comfortable silence, the two best friends made their way back to the Tower, their bellies full of chocolate and their minds racing to understand all that had happened.

* * *

Absolutely dreadful chapter but I really need to post and tell you people I'm not dead. Sorry I'm taking so long! I'm finishing college applications that have taken almost all my time but I'm nearly finished so bare with me! I will be posting more but December is when I'll probably have a constant flow of chapters coming in.

Anyway, onto more pressing (sorta) matters

First, I just want to say It literally killed me to type Patronuses instead of Patroni (#Latin student probs)

I also want to ask for all of you to tell me what you think Harry's Patronus should be. I really think the buck was to much of his father's thing and that he needs something of his own. Plus, he's Harry Potter, he needs something more Harry Potterish, don't you think? Opinions very welcomed!

And reviews:

**RANDOM COOKIE NINJA:** I'm glad you like Sirius caring for them both equally! Yeah, Alexis is in for a surprise when everything is revealed to her!

**mwinter1**: wish I could have updated faster, sorry lovely

**phoenixfelicis07**: The Black blood is in there most definitely! I'm glad you like Grim and the socks Dumbledore gets for Christmas. I promise you, Harry's relationship with Sirius will not be hindered now that he has to share the love with Hex; in fact, it might be even bigger seeing that I plan to have more Siriusness in this series than the original HP. And don't worry, things shall get very real soon

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: Sorry on the late update! Wood is gonna be having a field day when he finds out about the Firebolts which is exactly why I thought Hex and Harry should keep it a surprise for him. I'm glad you liked the Hufflepuff and Slytherin relationship too!

**Luna the HP fan:** the Sirius joke made me laugh and I'm glad to know you enjoyed the socks as much as I did. I really was disappointed that never happened in the real series. I'm also glad you like the Christmas gift! Thanks!

**caring16**: I was very distracted by the word cheese in your review but after my laughing subsided I couldn't agree with you anymore! Hope this meets your standard!

**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami**: Updated! (Dodges whatever item you throw at me for being a smartalec)

**jessica02**: This is as soon as I could, sorry!

**Ingrid**: I'm sorry! I hate it when I don't update weekly! So much dishonor! I apologize lovely!

**Alia**: thank you! I'm working hard to keep Hex unMary-Sueish but it's tough! As for a Hex/Draco that's a no, no matter how adorable their babies would look. Sorry, no cousin/cousin allowed. I'm glad you notice the friendship between Harry and Alexis because that's all Alexis sees there too (recommended that you read between lines on that) but both Alexis and Cedric are only in a brother/sister relationship much to Cho's dismay. As for the next book, I feel like it will be original and focus more on Alexis as an individual instead of as Harry's best friend but I'm not going to answer that on the account I want a few surprises. Thanks for the questions! Ask if you have anymore!

**Guest**: Updaaaaaate! Done...

Thanks again for the reviews guys and sorry I took so long! Bare with me and I'll make it worth it!

Please review and give me your opinion!

DCF


	19. Chapter 19

Quick note: this entire chapter was typed on my cell phone because my WiFi Shut off and I wanted to post it. Sorry for any mistakes

Enjoy!

* * *

3 Chapter 19: Secrets Told and To Be Told

Alexis found school year going by quickly with her now very busy schedule. Slytherin had beaten Ravenclaw in their Quidditch match, meaning Gryffindor would move up to second place if they beat Ravenclaw in their next game. This of course was a good thing but it also made Wood increase the number of practices the team had each week. Add Remus's anti-Dementor training once a week, and Alexis and Harry both only had one day to get all of their class work done.

Hermione and Ron still weren't talking to each other. Hermione had even taken to sitting with Fred and George while Ron occupied the four former best friends usual seats at breakfast. The morning of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw game was no exception.

However, Alexis had been more focused on not laughing at Wood's reaction to Harry and her Firebolts to notice her two other best friends ignoring each other.

The whole team, along with several other students, had surrounded them the moment Alexis and Harry walked into the Great Hall, brooms hanging on their shoulders.

"F-f-fire.." stuttered Wood, his eyes wider than saucers. Alexis and Harry held their Firbolts proudly in front of him. "Two, two- on my team! I- we- I..."

"I think Oliver might faint, George," chuckled Fred.

"Nicely done, you two," praised George.

"Firebolts!" Wood finally blurted out.

"We know, Oliver," said Alicia and Angelina together.

"Merlin's beard!"

Alexis glanced over at Harry. Like Alexis, he too was grinning ear to ear. Behind him, Alexis caught sight of Draco who nodded approvingly at her. Even Cedric, much to Cho and her minion's dismay, came over to admire Alexis and Harry's new brooms. In fact, everyone had come over to admire Alexis and Harry's new Firebolts including several of the teachers.

"There's no way we can't win now!" exclaimed Angelina jumping up and down in the locker room.

"Unless the Dementors-"

"Don't sweat, Oliver," said Alexis. "Harry and I can handle them now."

Harry nodded his head in agreement. The last few practices with Remus both Alexis and Harry, though Harry's were far better, had been able to cast nearly full Patronuses. Alexis had even stopped hearing McPherson's death play again and again in her ears though Harry hadn't been as fortunate.

"Then men-"

"-And women-" added Alicia and Angelina.

"- let's go win this for Gryffindor!" cried Wood and the whole team marched out of the locker room.

The Ravenclaw team was already waiting for them, sharing nervous glances between each other and the Firbolts. Cho, the Ravenclaw team Seeker, smiled at Harry before sending Alexis a cold look. Alexis merely rolled her eyes, not caring the slightest that Cho still hated her.

"On my whistle," called Madame Hooch. "Three. Two. One."

The whistle sounded and they were off. Alexis, already being the fastest flier on the pitch without a Firebolt, took off like a perfectly shot arrow towards the Ravenclaw's goals. She scored twice before anyone knew what had happened.

"And Hex has now scored twice on the Ravenclaws," said the twins' friend Lee Jordan in the commentary. "She and Harry are both flying Firebolts for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship-"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted McGonagall's voice.

"Right, sorry Professor- just giving some background information -the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built in auto brake and-"

"Jordan!"

"Right! Okay, Hex passes the Quaffle to Alicia and Alicia passes it back..."

Quickly, Alexis dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding Davies, the Raveclaw team captain, before snatching the Quaffle out of the Chaser's hand and passing it to Angelina. Gryffindor was up fifty to zero when Alexis heard Wood yell at Harry.

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood howled as Harry narrowly missed colliding with Cho who had stopped right in front of him. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

Alexis snorted, unable to control herself. She made another three points before catching sight of Harry diving. Cho was right on his tail when Harry suddenly pulled up and took off in another direction.

"Sneaky little-"

Alexis stopped mid sentence when she saw four hooded figures appeared on the pitch- Dementors, and they see right in front of Harry.

"Harry!" Alexis cried, carelessly tossing the Quaffle to Alicia (who scored easily). She was nose diving towards Harry but before she reached him a great white light erupted from Harry's wand and the Dementors stumbled to the ground.

"What?" cried Alexis, in surprise. "Dementors don't stumble."

However, Alexis didn't linger on this thought for Harry had caught the Snitch.

"And Gryffindor wins!" shouted Lee Jordan over the microphone.

Alexis came crashing down on Harry, tackling him into a hug. He stumbled, sending the two friends into the mud laughing.

"We won!" Harry exclaimed, still holding the Snitch and Alexis.

A giant smile fell on Alexis's face as she squeezed her best friend tightly. Harry returned the hug with an equal amount of mirth.

"Oi! Get a room!" shouted Fred and George in unison.

Immediately Alexis and Harry broke apart, equally glad their faces were smeared with mud as their team attacked them with a victory hug. The field was soon swarming with Gryffindor supporters as well.

"Bloody brilliant!" Ron yelled, pulling both Alexis and Harry into a hug. "Brilliant!"

"Well done, you two!" boomed Hagrid over the many students that encircled the team.

"Did you see the Dementors, Hex?" asked Harry, enthusiastically. "They didn't even effect me!"

"That's because they weren't Dementors," said a voice behind the two best friends. It was Remus Lupin. He had finally made his way through the crowd of Gryffindor fans. "Come see."

He motioned Alexis and Harry to follow him. Laying on there backs were Marcus Flint, Warrington, and and two other Slytherins Alexis remembered seeing Warrington speak to in Charms. They were dress in black robes similar to a Dementor's but theirs were covered in mud. Hovering over them with a look of pure anger on her face was McGonagall.

"They're gonna get it," sang Alexis. Both Remus and Harry grinned in agreement.

"Come on you two!" shouted Fred.

"Party in the Common Room!" added George. "Now!"

"Off you go," said Remus with a soft chuckle. "Who am I to deny the Gryffindors a party?"

Alexis and Harry shared a grin before running off. A celebration was over due.

.

Fred and George had not been kidding when they called for a party. The whole Gryffindor Tower was shaking with music, dancing, and celebrating all day and well into the night. Fred and George had disappeared for a couple hours before returning with a mountain of sweets and butterbeer, which they passed out unsparingly.

Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time- everyone besides Hermione. She was off in the corner of the Common Room reading a book entitled _Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles._

"Did you even come to the match?" asked Harry. Alexis wanted to hit him for his lack of sense.

"Of course I did!" Hermione said defensively but not looking away from her book. "And I'm very glad we won, and I think you and Padfoot did really well, but I have to read this by Monday."

"But _Moony_," whined Alexis, making Hermione smile despite herself. "I want you to hang out with us!"

"I... I can't," said Hermione nearly hysterical. "Besides, he doesn't want me to."

By he, Alexis and Harry both knew she meant Ron, and almost by fate, Ron chose that exact moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't gotten eaten, he could be here, enjoying the festivities like he used to-"

Hermione burst into tears. She took off running with her book before either Alexis or Harry could stop her right outside the portrait.

"Damn it, Tails!" Alexis shouted loud enough that the whole Common Room fell silent.

"I'll go after her," offered Harry but Alexis stopped him.

"No, I got it. I need to be away from Ron or else I might hurt him."

With that, Alexis made her way out the portrait. Ever since the troll incident in first year, Hermione had taken to hiding in the closest abandoned class room whenever she was upset instead of the bathroom. It didn't take Alexis long to find her buried in her book with tears still streaming down her face.

"Hey," Alexis said softly.

Hermione made no recognition of her. She merely turned the page in her book.

"Ron was wrong to say that," Alexis continued. "We don't know for sure that Crookshanks ate Scabbers. He might have just run off for a bit."

"Precisely," said Hermione simply.

"Will you come back and celebrate with your friends now?"

"No."

Alexis blinked.

"No?" she repeated. "Why not?"

Hermione closed her book harshly, fresh tears filling her eyes.

"Because my friends keep secrets from me when I haven't ever done such a thing!" Hermione all but screamed. She broke down into tears again but allowed Alexis to comfort her. When her sobs finally lessened she spoke again.

"Why won't you tell me?" Hermione whispered. "Do you not trust me?"

"You know?" Alexis breathed.

"That you can do Legminency? That you talk to Tomas McPherson even though he's dead?" said Hermione. "Yes."

"How long?"

"Since first year," replied Hermione, sniffing softly. "It was a hunch really but at the end of second year I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Hermione shrugged softly before saying, "I thought you'd tell me when you were ready like you did with Ron."

Alexis closed her eyes. She had been a horrible friend to Hermione. She knew Hermione would never betray her trust yet she had betrayed Hermione's by not sharing her secret with her as she had with Harry and Ron.

_'I'm sorry, Hermione,' _Alexis thought.

Hermione was startled slightly but smiled at Alexis.

"I forgive you," Hermione said aloud.

The two friends hugged each other tightly, giggling as they did.

"We're such dorks," laughed Alexis.

"I agree," said Hermione smiling.

"Are you ready to go back?" asked Alexis softly.

Hermione shook her head no but smiled at Alexis.

"Just give me a few more minutes," she said patting Alexis's back. "I'll meet you in the Common Room."

Hugging her friend once more, Alexis head out into the hall. She was just about to reach the portrait when it swung open revealing Fred with two butterbeers. He smirked at Alexis when she lifted her eyebrow at him.

"Thought our favorite bookworm might need a drink," he said casually. "Harry is waiting for you by the way."

"Thanks," said Alexis and without another word the two departed in opposite directions.

.

The party continued well into the night. Hermione had returned with Fred though she avoided Ron like the plague. Everyone seemed to have had a good time even when McGonagall sent them all to bed. Hermione had already gone to bed after giving Alexis a hug goodnight and Ron had fallen asleep on the table. Somehow, Alexis had convinced George to carry him to bed while she laid out on the couch.

"Aren't you going to bed, Padfoot?" asked Harry, stretching with a yawn.

"In a moment," yawned Alexis. "I'll head up once Fred and George bring me that butterbeer they promised me."

Rolling his eyes at his best friend, Harry made his way up the stairs to his dormitory. He had just disappeared out of view when Alexis closed her eyes sleepily. She had only meant to rest her eyes but soon found herself fast asleep and dreaming.

It was an odd dream too. She was running through the woods back where she and McPherson use to live, chasing after a strange black blur. It was very quick and kept disappearing from her view as she chased it. Finally she came to a clearing where the black blur was basking in sunlight. She covered her eyes to bloke out the light and squinted to see what it was and-

A hand clamped over Alexis's mouth, snapping her out of her dream. Her eyes opened wide and she sat up straight but something sharp poked her stomach. It was a wand.

"Don't scream," said a voice in Alexis's ear.

Slowly, Alexis turned her head to her left, her emerald eyes widening even more with what she saw.

"We need to talk, Alexis," said Sirius Black.

For some reason, Alexis found herself in no position to argue.

* * *

Who wants more Siriusness in this story *the lovelies all raise their hands and cry, "I do, I do!"* I wonder what will happen next! Anyway, quick Quidditch match and now Hermione knows (well, now Hex knows Hermione knows) that Alexis can use Legminency! Yeah! Everybody is in the loop! Except for Cedric... poor Edward...  
So what do you think will happen next? What does Sirius have to say to Alexis? Why did he call her Alexis this time? Will all secrets be revealed!? Did I have too much sugar? One of these is a yes.  
Now for the review responses:

**mwinter1**: Glad you understand! Hope you enjoy this little chapter!  
**Ingrid**: I'm glad I'm not dead too! I can't wait to tell the rest of the story either!  
**tikitay13**: I see where you're coming from but the Lestranges are famous for green eyes because they're a rare trait (only 6% of the world has Green eye) therefore Pureblood would deem it a certain family trait. It doesn't mean she is a Lestrange but it makes it a good bet (if you like to gamble on who a child's father is by her eye color).  
**Kuroi-Akuma-no-Okami**: Yaaaaaayyy! A review xD hope you like this chapter too!  
**Luna the HP fan**: I'm not sure which phrase you're talking about so please tell me. The memory from McPherson is just as confusing to you as it is for Hex but it will be explained later! Glad you liked the chapter though! Hope you liked this one!  
**pheonixfelicis07**: I'm glad you like how I leave hints in earlier stories and chapters for things to come up later in the story. I've been waiting for this one since I started the story (just wait until you find out who the girl Tom couldn't save was). I'm glad to hear your opinion on Harry's Patronus! It's valid and I like how you mentioned if I decide to leave that in the story (it's like you know me or something ;P) Love the long reviews and hope you get this soon!

As always, please **_review_**!

DCF


	20. Chapter 20

3 Chapter 20: Godric's Reign

Sirius Black's hand was callused and boney but he seemed to be in better condition than he had been the last two times he and Alexis had met. His eyes weren't nearly as sunk in as before and his body wasn't as fragile as it had been, which unfortunately meant Alexis had a very small chance of overpowering him physically.

Alexis breathed out harshly through her nose, reminding the escaped prisoner her still had his hand over her mouth.

"If I remove my hand, you promise not to scream?" he asked in a low voice, no doubt trying not to wake anyone.

Alexis scowled at him as best she could with her mouth covered. For some reason it made Sirius Black chuckle.

"Come now Trix," he laughed softly before removing his hand. The wand, however, stayed digging into her stomach.

"It's Hex," Alexis growled angrily. "I'm not Trix."

Sirius Black nodded his head.

"No, you're not, are you?" he said softly before clearing his throat. "I need your help."

"Fuck off," Alexis growled.

The convict raised an eyebrow at her, surprised.

"Did you just tell me to fuck off?"

"Yeah, I did," sneered Alexis. "I'm not helping you. So either fuck off or kill me already you murdering freak."

Sirius's eyebrow raised higher. For some reason he seemed surprised by Alexis's words or at least by her attitude. Did she not realize he had a wand trained on her?

Alexis most definitely realized the danger she was in. The problem was, she didn't care. There was no way she was going to help someone get to Harry especially not a psychopath that was in cohorts with Dark Lord, blood or not.

"Listen to me," whispered Sirius Black harshly. "Only one needs to die to night but I need your help."

"I'm not going to help you, you-!"

Sirius Black clamped his hand over Alexis's mouth once more. Alexis struggled against him, squirming as much as she could, but the convict quickly held her still with his wand hand.

"Quit it," he ordered in a hush tone. "I'm not going to hurt you, I just need to know where the rat-"

But whatever Sirius Black was going to say was cut off as footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory.

"Still awake, Hex?" teased Fred before coming into view of the Common Room.

"Having another midnight meeting with H-" George cut his words short at the sight of Sirius Black pointing his wand at the throat of a wide eyed Alexis.

Alexis counted three agonizing long seconds before Fred and George did what Fred and George do best: shoot blindly and make a lot of noise while doing so. Sirius Black never fired back. Instead he released Alexis and dove out of the Common Room. By that time several footsteps could be heard on the staircases.

"What is going on here?" shouted Percy. When he caught sight of the Common Room his scowled. It looked like a war zone. "Fred! George! Did you do this?"

"Yeah," said Fred.

"We did," said George.

"When Professor McGonagall sees this-"

"Go get her than!" barked Fred, silencing his older brother and everyone else in the room instantly. "She may want to know Sirius Black is back in the castle."

A great deal of gasps filled the room. Alexis caught sight of Harry, Hermione, and Ron all moving towards her, no doubt already safely assuming she was apart of the mayhem.

"Don't be absurd!" cried Percy over the whimpering first years. "Sirius Black didn't break into the castle-"

"HE DID TOO YOU BLIND GIT!" roared George, much to everyone's surprise. Fred was usually the louder of the two twins.

"He was right there and nearly killed Hex on your watch!" barked Fred causing more gasps.

Just then the portrait swung open and a crazed hair McGonagall entered.

"What is going on in- my word!" McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the twins. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Sirius Black attacked Hex!" shouted Colin Cleevey, Harry's number one fan.

"Fred and George saved her!" added Alexis's year mate, Lavender Brown.

"Honestly, I-"

"It's true, Professor!" said the twins.

"Sirius Black had Hex at wand point," explained Fred.

"Ask the portrait," said George. "He must of saw him come in!"

McGonagall looked suspiciously at the twins before catching sight of Alexis who had stayed silent through the whole ordeal. Just one look made McGonagall play along with Fred and George's request. She climbed out of the portrait and into the hall to question Sir Cadogan, the portrait who had replace the Fat Lady until she was fully repaired.

"Sir Cadogan," said McGonagall to the portrait. "Did you let a man enter the Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" replied Sir Cadogan.

Three pairs of arms simultaneously tightened around Alexis at Sir Cadogan's response. Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked genuinely worried for their friend.

"You- you did?" said McGonagall. "But- but the password!"

"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

McGonagall turned around to face the silenced crowd, her face as white as chalk.

"Who," she said with a forced calm voice, "was foolish enough to write down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

All eyes shifted to Neville Longbottom who was shaking head to toe. Alexis knew the poor boy was in for a lecture but she couldn't bring herself to let it happen.

"I did, professor," lied Alexis, moving forward. "I didn't want to forget them so I kept a copy of them in my bag. I must have dropped it."

Neville made a squeaking noise and looked at Alexis. He opened his mouth to protest but Alexis sent him a look and, very carefully, a message.

_'Don't.'_

Looking pack at McGonagall, who was turning a red color, Alexis knew Neville had heard her in his head. She highly doubt, however, that he would think she had said it to him. He would be too worried about the reprimand Alexis was about to receive for him.

McPherson had only one word to say on the subject.

_'Goat.'_

Somehow Alexis manage not to scowl at McPherson's poorly timed joke.

.

No one believed Alexis had left a list of the Gryffindor passwords laying around- not even McGonagall- but she was punished for it nonetheless. Her Hogsmead privileges were revoked and she had received a months worth of detention. The only good thing out of it was Alexis served most of her detentions with Remus who let Alexis use most of the time to prepare for her O.W.L.s that were quickly approaching.

Sir Cadogan portrait had been removed from the Gryffindor Tower and the Fat Lady had once again returned, though she was a great deal more skittish than usual.

The school year was passing in a flash but thankfully Hermione and Ron had finally made up- though it was under the unfortunate circumstances of Hagrid losing his case for Buckbeak. The four friends had spent a great deal of time with their sorrow-stricken, half-giant friend in attempt to prepare him for Buckbeak's appeal. Hagrid, however, had all but given up hope.

"I'll just keep 'em happy 'till..." Hagrid buried his head in a giant handkerchief. He blew his nose loudly. "That Pierre Parkinson jus' kep' attackin' poor Beaky with his words an' an'..."

"It's alright, Hagrid," said Alexis, hugging her friend. She couldn't help but to feel conflicted on her feelings though. Pansy's father had only been against Buckbeak because his daughter had asked him to, and Pansy had only asked him to because Buckbeak had attacked Draco, and Buckbeak had only attacked Draco because Draco had pushed Pansy out of the way... The chain of events continued on but Alexis couldn't bring herself to blame Pansy. She had been afraid and reacted poorly because of it.

"We can still save Buckbeak at the appeal!" said Ron. "I've been reading _Numerology and Gramatica_ and I think we've got a chance!"

"You've been... Reading?" said Hermione surprised.

Ron nodded his head, blushing softly.

"Well, you three have been busy- Harry and Hex with Quidditch while you have all your classes to keep up with... I thought I should pull my weight too."

Ron turned the color of his hair when both Alexis and Hermione pulled him into a tight hug. Alexis could tell he felt awkward because of all the attention but that didn't stop Hagrid from pulling Ron off his feet along with the three other Gryffindors in a tight hug.

"Bes' mates I ever had!" blubbered Hagrid.

Alexis coughed loudly.

"Can't-"

"Breathe!" finished Harry.

Hagrid immediately put the four best friends down. He smiled softly at them with teary eyes before looking out the window.

"Merlin! Look at da time!" Hagrid said aloud. "Need ta get you four back to da castle. Nearly sunset. Big game tomorrow an' all."

The five friends made their way back to the castle quietly. Alexis knew they had to win the Quidditch game tomorrow, for Gryffindor, for Wood, for Buckbeak. It was all Alexis could think about as she fell asleep that night.

.

The next morning, Alexis woke up with a clear head an a plethora of energy. She was bouncing with excitement unlike her teammates who seemed to be beyond nervous. Walking to the Great Hall with her team, Wood continually patted her back as if it would give him some of her confidence. Angelina and Alicia continually shared nervous glance that the two tried to play off with awkward laughs. Harry had opt to taking hold of Alexis's hand as they walked to calm his nerves but quickly stopped, his face as scarlet as his robes, when the twins kept sending him knowing looks.

The team entered the Great Hall to enormous applause. Alexis couldn't help but to grin wildly as both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables joined in the Gryffindor applauding. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed but Alexis was able to catch a soft head nod from Draco and, oddly enough, Pansy and three other Slytherins she only knew by name. Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and Millicent Bulstrode all sat around Draco and Pansy (Crabbe and Goyle sat in front of them filling their faces). Alexis had never had the fortune, or misfortune (she wasn't sure yet), to meet any of them but she did remember seeing the three at Draco's twelfth birthday party.

Alexis stuffed her face with as much food as Ron did and with about as much manners too. Unlike her teammates, her eating habits hadn't been affected though Wood's constant checking of her food for jinxes did start making her paranoid.

"Good luck, Harry!" called Cho. Alexis raised her eyebrow when Harry started turning red again but had no time to dwell on it. Peeves had appeared out of her oatmeal and with a quick, devious wink to Alexis, he had taken off into the air singing.

"_Slimey and slippery,_

_Wicked and cheat,_

_Slytherin house thinks they can't be beat!_

_The sorrow, the sadness,_

_All that will come,_

_When Gryffindor house shows them they're chum!_

_Three cheers for the red,_

_Four boos for green!_

_For today you'll see_

_Godric's reign true!_"

Then, with a loud crackle, Peeves dove into the oatmeal in the center of the table, sending the mush all over the hall but no one besides the Slytherins seemed to care. Everyone else was applauding the poltergeist and his witty tongue - even Filch looked amused.

"To the field, Oliver?" asked Alexis before the cheering had even died down to a dull roar.

Wood nodded his head, unable to keep the smile off his face. He called his team after him and the seven scarlet robed wizards and witch made their way to the Quidditch Pitch. The Great Hall erupted into cheering as they left and Alexis caught sight of Cedric waving at her as they departed.

Down at the pitch Alexis and her fellow teammates were silent as they waited for McGonagall to call them out of the locker room. Alexis was happy to see her teammates less nervous and more excited than anything as the minutes to the game ticked by slowly. Finally, with only a few minutes to go until McGonagall was expected to announce them, Wood spoke.

"Well team," he said thickly. It was as if he had tried to drink a whole bottle of syrup before beginning his speech. "I just want to tell you all that it's been an hon-"

The locker room doors opened up. Remus Lupin entered with a apologetic smile.

"Apologies," Remus said softly, "but were about to begin."

"Right," said Wood, a little off because his speech had been interrupted but otherwise fine. "For Gryffindor!"

"For Gryffindor!" roared the six remaining players.

"Here, here," said Remus with a smile. He sent Alexis and Harry a wink as they left the locker room for the pitch. "Good luck you two."

"Thank you, professor," said Harry smiling himself.

"Thanks, Remus," said Alexis

Remus rolled his eyes but didn't correct the excited third year. He waved them off as Alexis and her team headed directly to the center of the pitch where Madam Hooch and the Slytherin team stood.

Four of the Slytherin players Alexis recognized from the Ravenclaw game sabotage: Marcus Flint, Cassius Warrington, and the two whose names she had only recently been told, Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole. All four players, along with the two other Chasers and Keeper, were monsters in size compared to Draco who stood casually off to the side. He smiled softly at Alexis before masking all his emotions.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch.

Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly. Alexis thought it looked as though they were trying to break the each other's fingers.

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three...two...one..."

The roar of the crowd was deafening as fourteen brooms - Alexis and Harry's undoubtedly the fast of the fourteen - took off into the sky. As per usual, Alexis had taken off with the Quaffle towards the Slytherin goal only to have to roll dangerously to the left as a bear in green cut her off purposely. She had only just scored when a Bludger flew agonizingly close to her head.

"Watch it!" Alexis barked at the bear called Derrick. She didn't like the way the Slytherin smirked at her- or rather, behind her.

WHAM!

A roar similar to a vengeful lion filled the air silencing the once in uproar crowd. It had been Alexis who was now holding her right arm. She had seen the Bludger whoosh by her but she hadn't seen Bole coming at her, his bat raised.

Alexis's eyes narrowed at the Slytherin whose smirk was quickly slipping off his face. She could feel the sneer forming on her face. She didn't care that the sneer was even terrifying Madam Hooch as she moved Alexis to shot a penalty. The Slytherin Keeper luckily cared more about his head than blocking the Quaffle so Gryffindor moved up to a twenty point lead.

Not that Alexis cared right know.

She wanted blood.

_'Hex,'_ said McPherson warningly.

"Fuck off," Alexis growled. The two Slytherin Keepers that had been close enough to hear her gulped loudly before looking at each other nervously.

Catching Flint's eyes, Alexis didn't need to use her Legminency to tell the Slytherin team captain what was about to happen.

_'I. Am. Going. To. Crush. You.'_

Single handedly (literally), Alexis scored three more times in three minutes. She passed the Quaffle constantly to Alicia and Angelina before nearly tackling any poor Slytherin that dared to draw near them. She was playing on rage and the longer the game became, the more she began to enjoy it.

"Having fun?" she sneered to Flint just as she stole the Quaffle from his hands. The Slytherin went to sneer back but instead took a Bludger to the side of the head.

"Nice one, Georgie!" she laughed, rolling her pained shoulder softly after throwing the Quaffle.

The score was 100 to 20 with Gryffindor winning but the game was getting dirty- well more so than usual for a Slytherin and Gryffindor game. The only difference was now Alexis was in the thick of the harsh plays.

Something seemed to have snapped in Alexis after her injury, making her determined to give the Slytherins a run for their money. She was getting far more excited with every injury the Slytherins suffered and angry with every injury her teammates received.

Charging violently towards the Slytherin Keeper, Alexis let out a laugh as he cowered away, opening Angelina up for a shot. Her laugh was cut short when she caught sight of Draco diving.

"The Snitch!" Alexis yelled.

Harry was flying through the air like a bullet, trying to reach the Snitch before Draco. He was gaining on him quickly but Alexis didn't know if he would be fast enough. Harry had flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him, dodging it narrowly. Alexis took a deep breath as he became even with Draco and-

"YES! Harry has caught the Snitch! GRYFFINDOR WIN!" Lee Jordan cried over the megaphone.

Without missing a beat, Alexis charged headlong into her best friend, nearly tackling him off his broom and out of the sky. Five other scarlet robed wizards were still making their way to the two of them as the crowd exploded in applause.

"We did it!" Harry exclaimed. "We won the cup!"

Alexis could barely hold her joy in. Barely processing what she was doing, Alexis kissed Harry's cheek before pulling her weeping captain into a one armed hug. Soon the whole team was in a massive hug as they descended to the ground, each player shouting their victory in their own way.

As the team landed, they were engulfed in a sea of scarlet. There was a mass amount of cheering and before Alexis knew it she and her teammates were hoisted up into the air on the crowd's shoulders. Holding Alexis on his shoulder was Cedric Diggory.

"Excellent, Hex!" Cedric exclaimed over the roar of the crowd.

Ron and Hermione were both near Hagrid shouting praises Alexis couldn't hear over the noisy crowd but could tell were pleasant from the smiles on her friends' faces. McGonagall was in tears of joy much like Wood and Remus was absolutely beaming at Alexis and Harry. Even more impressive was the fact that Grim stood alone in the high stands barking and jumping about in excitement.

Whatever pain Alexis had been feel during the game immediately left her as Wood, still teary eyed and blubbering with happiness, was presented the enormous Quidditch Cup by Dumbledore.

Everything was perfect.

And as Wood passed the Cup to her and Harry, Alexis couldn't help but to feel like that was the truth until her eyes caught Remus's or rather, what Remus was staring at. Following his grim stare, she was surprised with what she discovered.

Remus was staring at Grim.

* * *

Quidditch matches, yeah! Hope you get the hints in that! Hope everyone has realized what Alexis's favorite thing to say when she's angry is. Anyway, we like the Sirius time even though it was slim? I just had to get him in another chapter or I might have died... Anyways...

So I'm drawing near the end of this story and I just realized I don't have a title for the next one. This really sucks because I've come up with a lot of ideas for the story itself but not for its title. Help would be greatly appreciated!

**pheonixfelicis07**: Normally I do my review responses in order but you made me laugh so hard I had to start with yours.

(1 & 6) I siriusly wish I had some sugar quills to give you.

(4) more sugar quills! Very good observation and I promise not to quote you on that last part :P (hint hint)

(2 & 3) ... You're getting too good at this, you know that?

(5) Waaaaaaaaaaay too good at this :P

Anyway, love the rambling, in fact, it's what I look forward to so ramble away lovely!

**tikitay13**: plot twisting but not really plot twisting is a fav of mine. Let's just see if you like the surprise at the end of the Grim story ;D

**NeverBeyondRedemption**: Understand the busy life so totally cool! Glad you liked the chapter and sorry about forgetting the score!

**Luna the HP fan**: haha to much sugar buddies! He got the wand very early in the story, remember? Hopefully I updated soon enough for you taste! Thanks for the always funny reviews!

**Jess311**: =3 thank you! Here's that update!

Thanks again for all the reviews and please send more! I'll try and come up with the next book title ASAP but it's becoming difficult!

Oh, and look out for that major story plot change I promised because it's coming very soon (probably not this chapter but the next or the next next)

Remember, review!

DCF


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